More youngsters succumb to Covid-19 in Bengaluru

Bengaluru: The second wave of Covid-19 is showing how brutal it is becoming by taking away the lives of around 56% of those in the age group 20-49. Due to this, several family moments have lost their lone earning member of the family.

Doctors say that during the first wave of the pandemic, they rarely saw younger people passing away due to the severity of the illness. Dr Mahendra Kumar, medical director of Sagar hospitals, Jayanagar said, “Now they account for not less than 30% of ICU beds.” They highlight that majority of these people rush for hospital beds after 8-10 days of the outbreak of symptoms when the infection goes from mild to severe. Out of the total 4,432 people of the 20-49 age group, 2,465 succumbed to Covid between March 17 and May 17.

Those treating in the ICU say that these youngsters were the breadwinners of the family and in most of the cases, the sons have left behind parents who survived the infection. The state war room data indicate that deaths have increased rapidly in each age group in the past two months although case fatality remains less.

A covid technical advisory committee member said, “Percentage-wise, it might appear less but for the family which has lost the breadwinner, it is 100% failure. In the second wave, infection is largely being seen among the younger population.” Till now, 4.8 lakh people in the age group of 20-49 have been infected, while 5.1 lakh have been infected in the age group 30-39. Around 4 lakh in the age group 40-49 have been infected. He also said that the vaccination of the 18-44 age group is going at a slow pace which is now becoming a major concern.

Dr Brunda MS, consultant for internal medicine at Aster CMI Hospital said that one of the major reasons for the passing away of younger generations is that they were not part of the vaccination drive. She said, “We are seeing a lot of youngsters dying from Covid-19. First, not many have taken precautions seriously and didn’t follow the guidelines of social distancing, wearing masks and usage of hand sanitiser. This is the primary reason why the second wave has badly hit this age group.”

Dr Sheela Chakravarthy, director of internal medicine at Fortis hospital, Banerghatta road said, “Several youngsters are out for work, while some have also partied. And they have suffered damage from caused by infections and damage caused by the exaggerated immune response, which is self-destructive.” She added that almost 20% of beds are occupied by youngsters at the Fortis hospital.

She also said, “Symptoms among youngsters have been varying and late reporting for admission after symptoms worsen or there is sudden deterioration has been a worrying factor. This is worsened by non-availability of beds, certain drugs and adequate facilities.”

She said that there are several cases where youngsters come to the hospital at the last minute. The condition called happy hypoxia, where oxygen levels crash without any external signs, occurs 8-10 days after the onset of infection. Dr Sheela highlighted that early intervention can save lives.