67pc of Barishal COVID-19 patients aged 18 to 45
Most of the patients infected with coronavirus in five districts of Barishal division are juveniles and young people, reveals an analysis of 61 infected.
The ages of 67.21 per cent of the infected are between 18 and 45.
Until Wednesday, the number of confirmed COVID cases in the division is 76 but Prothom Alo could avail detailed information of 61 patients, including 11 women (19.19 per cent). Of the infected women, seven were aged between 17 and 39. The rest were from 41 to 45 years old.
Divisional health directorate office sources said the first coronavirus infected patient of Barishal was detected in Dumki upazila of Patuakhali district on 9 April. The patient was a labourer who had returned from Narayanganj. He died before the tests were carried out. In Barishal district, the first patient was detected on 12 April.
In the last 13 days, 33 were tested positive in Barishal, 20 in Barguna, 12 in Patuakhali, five in Pirojpur and six in Jhalakathi. As of Wednesday, four people have died of COVID-19 in the division. Two of them were in Barguna and one each in Patuakhali and Barishal.
The youngest to be infected with the novel virus in the division is a 6-month-old. Two more children, aged nine and 10 years of age, were tested positive, the analysis of 61 patients's data reveals.
Besides, the ages of 27 of the infected were between 18 and 30, while 14 were from 31 to 45, and 10 were aged between 46 and 55, while seven were from 56 to 70 years of age.
Health directorate sources said in contrast to other countries, young people in Bangladesh are getting more infected.
Barishal health directorate officials said the number of coronavirus infected people above 60 years old is less in Bangladesh. But their death rate is greater because of underlying health conditions and age.
Sometimes, people of 21 to 30 years of age are getting more infected and sometimes those of 31 to 40 years or 41 to 50, but the elderly people remain within 10 to 11 per cent. One of the reasons could be that the number of elderly people in Bangladesh is less than the young, they said.
Speaking to Prothom Alo, assistant director of the Barishal divisional health directorate office Shyamal Krishna Mandal said, “Coronavirus is such a virus that no one is free of risk of its infection. Everyone is at risk. Age is not a factor here. But the younger people could recover even without any medical care since their immunity system is stronger than the old.”
“None of the younger infected are in critical condition. But those who are older, especially, those with diabetes, heart disease, kidney problems, respiratory problems, asthma and cancer patients, as well as pregnant women, are at higher risk. This is why everyone should maintain cautioun and take extra care of the elderly,” he added.