COVID-19 infected mostly men aged 21-70 in Maha: Data

 Contrary to the general perception that COVID-19 affected only senior citizens, latest data released by the Medical Education and Drugs Department (MEDD) in Maharashtra on Thursday shows that the majority of the infectees in the state fall in the 21-70 age group, with those between 31-40 grabbing the lion's share.

Of the total 122 cases till March 26 - subsequently the number has risen to 125 - 33 persons were affected in the age group of 31-40, 24 each in the age groups of 21-30 and 41-50, 15 in the 51-60 age group and 13 in the 61-70 age groups.

Shattering another myth that children below 10 are immune to coronavirus, the state MEDD data shows two minors in the 1-10 age group and three very senior citizens in the age group of 71-80 were also infected.

Interestingly, however, all four deaths in the state till date have been reported in the 61-70 age group only, but their COVID-19 condition was aggravated by several other health problems, and males account for 69 per cent of the total cases.

In another shocker, China has escaped the needle of suspicion for COVID-19 spread in India as the maximum number of cases in the state comprise people with travel history to United Arab Emirates, followed by the USA, and Saudi Arabia.

The other significant number of infectees had a history of travel to the UK, Philippines and Turkey, and a small number each from Australia, Scotland, Thailand, Russia, Congo, Spain and Oman.

The maximum number of cases - 54 per cent - comprise those who have travelled to one or the other above countries, another 29 per cent are those infected by coming in contact with the first category of foreign travellers, the reports of six per cent were inconclusive and the results of another 11 per cent are still awaited, said the MEDD.

With Maharashtra having the highest number of cases in India, the country's densest city and its commercial capital Mumbai tops the national list with 56 infected, followed by Pune at 31, Sangli 9, Thane 6, Nagpur 5, Yavatmal 4, Ahmednagar 3, Satara 2, and one each in Raigad, Aurangabad and Ratnagiri. IANS