Capital’s youngsters prone to Covid-19

Govt survey finds most deaths were in 60-69 age group

RAWALPINDI/ ISLAMABAD: As the number of novel coronavirus (Covid-19) cases continue to rise in the federal capital, an analysis of the data has shown that young people are the most likely to contract the virus, while senior citizens are more likely to die from it.

A recent government survey, seen by The Express Tribune, shows that people between the ages 30-39 have been most affected by Covid-19 in Islamabad, with 1,493 of them testing positive for the virus. So far some 5,963 people have tested positive for Covid-19 in the federal capital, including 178 who tested positive in the past 24 hours.

However, there were just four associated deaths in this age group, amongst the lowest in all age groups.

By contrast, those between the ages of 80 and 89 years, have reported relatively fewer cases. But the death ratio amongst them is relatively high, with eight associated casualties reported thus far.

The lowest number of confirmed cases has been recorded in people who are between the ages of 70-79 years, with just 132 cases. They also reported the least number of deaths with seven.

Following them, adolescents have the record for second least affected, with only 374 positive cases.

As many as 388 minors have so far contracted the virus.

There are 1,107 cases in the age group between 20 and 29 years old.

Further, 989 patients are between 40-49 years-of-age. At least 10 people in this age group died. The number of positive cases amongst quinquagenarians stands at 761 with eight casualties.

Some 450 sexagenarians in Islamabad have thus far contracted the virus. This age group reported the highest number of deaths from Covid-19, accounting for 20 of the 57 deaths from the virus recorded in the federal capital so far.

Additional quarantine centres

Responding to a surge in Covid-19 patients, the Rawalpindi district administration has set up an additional 17 quarantine facilities in the district.

With these, the total number of quarantine centres in the garrison city have gone up to 47.

The new isolation centres have been set up at Fatima Jinnah University, Arid University, Taxila Engineering University, Gordon College, Satellite Town College, Asghar Mall College, Gujar Khan Degree College, apart from schools in Kahuta, Kallar Sayedan, Taxila, Kotli Sattiyan, Murree, and Gujjar Khan.

Each facility can house between 80 to 120 patients while the total number of beds spread across them number 5,541.

Basic pay scale (BPS) grade IV employees of the education, finance, and excise and taxation departments have been deployed at these centres to look after patients.

However, The Express Tribune has learnt that none of the employees have been provided personal protective equipment (PPE) including N-95 masks or protective suits.

Meanwhile, the district administration has decided to add another 200 beds to the Rawalpindi Institute of Urology and Kidney Transplant (RIUKT), which has been dedicated to treating Covid-19 patients.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 11^th, 2020.