Reasons why youngsters are getting more affected in this 2nd Covid wave, explains ICMR Chief

The younger generation is getting infected slightly more in the second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic, Indian Coucil of Medical Research Chief Dr. Balram Bhargava has cited a couple of reasons as to why there is a rise in the number of young people getting more affected. Without dismissing the probable contribution of variants, he said, “We have found that younger people are getting slightly more involved because suddenly they have gone out and there are variants also prevalent in the nation which may be affecting the younger people as well.”

Dr. Bhargava was asked in a press briefing of the health ministry on Tuesday, whether the Centre is taking any step to initiate vaccination of the children who are set to be the target in the third wave of the pandemic. He initially replied by saying that, there isnt much age difference in the first and the second wave, but also added, “We have been analysing the date since August. People above the age of 45 years are more vulnerable to any adverse outcome and the hospitalised mortality is around 9.6 to 9.7 per cent”.

However, the Centre refuted the reports of the shift in age groups despite more and more young people are reporting the infection of the ongoing wave. The government’s principal scientific advisor K Vijay Raghavan recently said that the country should be prepared for a third wave of the pandemic which can be thwarted if adequate precautions are taken.