Coronavirus | 50% of persons testing positive fall in 18-45 age group, T.N. Health Secretary says

Stressing the need for everyone to take precautions against the virus and wear masks, the Health Secretary said transmission was on the rise in Chennai -- from 3% to 4.5% now

Health workers taking swabs from police personnel in Chennai on Wednesday. Photograph used for representational purposes only

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

Shortly after inspecting the Government Corona Hospital at the King Institute of Preventive Medicine campus in Guindy on Wednesday, he told reporters that the percentage of persons who had tested positive for COVID-19 in the age group of less than 18 years was 8%. He went on to highlight the need for everyone to take precautions against COVID-19. He urged political leaders also to advise people who take part in political meetings to wear masks.

The Centre has stated that COVID-19 cases were high in 10 places, including in Maharashtra. But Chennai was not among these cities. However, COVID-19 transmission was on the rise in the city -- from 3% to 4.5% now, he said, according to a press release.

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

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

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

Additional vaccine doses

Tamil Nadu would receive additional doses of vaccines -- 10,40,000 doses of Covishield and 2 lakh doses of Covaxin -- on April 2. Eighty per cent of persons have been 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.