Coronavirus in Maharashtra: 11% of cases among children, adults upto 20 years of age; Check details

The data also found that the death rate in patients below the age of 20 was only 0.5 percent of the total Covid-19 related deaths recorded in the state. (Representative image)

Eleven percent of Coronavirus occurrence has been found in people aged less than 20 in the state of Maharashtra. The data which was collected by the Maharashtra Public Health Department showed that out of the total of 5.95 lakh recorded Covid-19 cases in the state, more than 66,000 cases have been traced to children and those below the age of 20, according to an Indian Express report. The finding assumes significance at a time when various governments are mulling whether schools should be allowed to re-open. However, the data also found that the death rate in patients below the age of 20 was only 0.5 percent of the total Covid-19 related deaths recorded in the state. Out of the 19,830 deaths recorded, 99 were those of children or adults upto 18 years of age. The data cited by the state health department was upto August 16.

As far as the case fatality ratio (CFR) among adults upto 18 years of age is concerned, only 0.15 percent adults in this age group succumbed to the disease out of the total number of such recorded cases. The overall CFR in the state of Maharashtra is much higher at 3.35 percent which means a total of 3.35 percent of patients who had contracted the virus succumbed to the disease in the state. The fatality rate among children and adults upto 20 years of age may have been low but the state has been recording between 1,000 and 2,000 cases in the same age group everyday since the beginning of August.

Dr Tanu Singhal, an infectious disease expert at Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani hospital was quoted in the report as saying that though the disease manifests itself in a milder form among children and young adults, but the high load of Covid-19 cases among the young population can carry the virus to vulnerable people in their family including grandparents. Out of the total deaths recorded in the state 52 percent of the deaths were among patients above 60 years.

Dr Satish Pawar, Joint commissioner, Directorate of Health Services told the Indian Express that the potential among children to transmit the disease was far greater than adults as they have more nasal secretions than adults. Maybe this is why CM Uddhav Thackeray hinted at some delay before the schools are allowed to be opened in the state. Thackeray had also said that the state was the first to promote e learning in the country and stressed on its promotion.