Age Group 18-30 Accounted for 26% of all Cases This Month, Highest Infected Group

According to government data released Wednesday evening, over 26% of all those infected with COVID-19 in India since May 1 is between the ages of 18 and 30.

Vaccination for people in this age group, who become eligible this month as part of the 18-44 demographic, has hit a snag due to a severe lack of doses.

The following week, from May 15 to May 21, is a holiday. The 18-30 age group accounted for 64% of new occurrences. And for the next three days, from May 22 to 25, it will be 25. Sixty percent were between the ages of 18 and 30.

The next highest infected age group is 31-40 years old.

Children and young adults - who some experts fear could be the target of the third wave, as the SARS-CoV2 virus mutates and evolves - accounted for fewer than 10 per cent of new cases in the same time, although the weekly numbers showed a steady increase.

It increased from 7.82 percent of all cases from May 1 to May 7 to 8.73 percent in the prior three days. The largest single-group gain in percentage terms was among those aged 11-17, which increased from 4.89 percent in May 15-21 to almost 5% on May 22-24.

The chief of Delhi's famed AIIMS, Dr Randeep Guleria, has stated that there is no sign that children will be seriously affected in the third wave. However, several countries, such as Singapore, have already begun to record illnesses among their younger populations.

Infected people over 60, who were thought to be the most vulnerable in the initial wave, accounted for only 13% (or less) of all new cases in the first 24 days of this month.

On May 14, India was rocked by a devastating second wave of infections, with total deaths surpassing three lakh and active cases reaching a new high of around 40 lakh.

Since then, the number of daily new cases has steadily decreased; this morning, fewer than 2.09 lakh instances, as well as over 4,000 deaths, were documented in the previous 24 hours.

While the decrease is positive, experts have warned that a third wave is on the way, one that might wipe out the country's healthcare facilities.

To ward off the third wave, Dr M Vidyasagar, a professor at IIT (Hyderabad) and a member of a centre-appointed group, said it was vital to scale up immunisation and maintain Covid-appropriate behaviour (which was reinforced last month with state-wide lockdowns).

Vaccine shortage is a key issue in India's fight against the virus.

States have been forced to turn overseas due to a scarcity of dosage, but few foreign producers are prepared to work with them. Moderna could deploy its single-dose vaccination next year, according to government sources. Pfizer might send five crore medicines this year, assuming it obtains legal indemnification.

Covishield (produced by AstraZeneca-Oxford University), Covaxin (created by Bharat Biotech), and Sputnik V (which has yet to be brought out) are the three vaccines now available in India. Indemnity has been waived by everybody.

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