More than 70 per cent of COVID-19 patients in India are men.
According to the Union health ministry, 76 per cent of those diagnosed with the disease are men. Among those who tested positive, 34 per cent belong to the age group of 40-60 years; and 19 per cent is 60 years and above, Lav Agarwal, joint secretary, Union health ministry, said at the daily press briefing of the ministry.
In all, India has reported 109 deaths due to COVID-19, of which, 30 were reported on Sunday. The ministry data for deaths also shows that death rate is higher among those who belong to the age group of 60 or above— 63 per cent. Thirty per cent of those who died belonged to the age group of 40-60 years, and seven per cent below 40 years.
Agarwal said since 86 per cent of those who died had co-morbid conditions, it could be concluded that younger people with co-morbid conditions, such as hypertension and diabetes, are at greater risk.
However, experts say that it is difficult to draw conclusions from the government’s patient-related data unless the age and gender profile of those tested was available.
On April 6, India reported 693 new positive cases, taking the total to 4,067 cases. The number of people who have recovered stands at 291.
As drugs for treatment of COVID-19 still elude researchers, ICMR has clarified that based on evidence, the drug Hydroxychloroquine has been approved for prevention in healthcare workers and contacts of those who tested positive. “Based on a study of 30 patients, there is a debate currently on whether it can be used for treatment. Some say we should, some think we shouldn’t. I don’t think we should,” said Dr Raman R. Gangakhedkar, head, epidemiology and communicable diseases, ICMR. The 30-patient study to test the efficacy of the drug took place in France, and results were reported in March, Gangakhedkar told THE WEEK. The study reported that the efficacy of the drug in COVID-19 patients could not be established.
In an effort to ramp up testing, the ICMR is considering a 24X7 working model at existing laboratories, coordinating with states to increase manpower for various functions, including data-entry, re-deploying automated and manual RT-PCR machines already in the country to aid COVID-19 testing effort, and optimising in-lab processes such as RNA extraction to reduce turnaround time between sample receipt and testing. ICMR has also procured 10 lakh Reverse Transcription-Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) kits used for diagnosis and seven depots have been established for uninterrupted supply of reagents across the country for “efficient distribution” to government testing laboratories.
As of today, ICMR has validated 19 non-US FDA EUA/CE IVD real-time RT-PCR kits. Of these, five have been recommended based on their accuracy and sensitivity. The ICMR has also placed an order for five lakh kits for antibody tests (blood tests) for COVID-19, and the kits are expected to arrive by April 8, Gangakhedkar said.
