Coronavirus | ‘50% of COVID-19 cases are in the 18 to 45 years age group in Tamil Nadu’

Transmission on the rise, says Health Secretary

CHENNAI, TAMIL NADU, 20/01/2021: Senior Students of Government Medical College, Omandurar, Government Estate welcomed with rose to first year students on the first day of MBBS classes on January 20, 2021, along with state health secretary J. Radhakrishnan and College Dean Jayanthi are in picture. Photo: B. Jothi Ramalingam

Persons between the age group of 18 and 45 years accounted for more than 50% of the COVID-19 cases in Tamil Nadu, Health Secretary J. Radhakrishnan said.

Shortly after inspecting the Government Corona Hospital on the King Institute of Preventive Medicine campus, Guindy, on Wednesday, he told presspersons that the percentage of persons who had tested positive for COVID-19 under the age of 18 years was 8%. He went on to highlight the need for everyone to take precautions against COVID-19.

He urged political leaders to advise people who took part in political meetings to wear masks.

The Centre had stated that COVID-19 cases were high in 10 places, such as Maharashtra. But Chennai was not among those. However, COVID-19 transmission was on the rise in the city from 3% to 4.5% now, Mr. Radhakrishnan said, according to a press release.

A total of 1,124 persons with COVID-19 were undergoing treatment at the four government hospitals in Chennai. The city had a total of 4,368 beds for patients with COVID-19, while 56,000 beds were being readied in government hospitals across the State. COVID-19 Care Centres with 70,000 beds were also ready.

Areas where disease transmission was high were being identified, he said, adding that more than 600 places had been demarcated as containment areas. People should avoid crowded places and wear masks.

Noting that the number of deaths due to COVID-19 was increasing, he said steps were being taken to reduce deaths.

Tamil Nadu would receive additional doses of vaccines — 10,40,000 doses of Covishield and two lakh doses of Covaxin — on April 2. Around 80% of persons got vaccinated in government hospitals and 20% in private hospitals. Action would be taken on any complaints of excess charging for vaccination at private hospitals, he said.

Stating that healthcare workers were risking their lives in COVID-19 management, he urged people to keep this in mind and extend their cooperation .

R. Narayana Babu, Director of Medical Education; E. Theranirajan, Dean of Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital; and K. Narayanasamy, Director of Government Corona Hospital were present.