Alert! 83% Of Coronavirus Patients In India Are Between Age Group Of 21-40 Yrs, Says Health Ministry

Health Ministry on Saturday confirmed that most of the Covid-19 cases emerging across the country have found to be in between the age group of 21-40 years.

Health Ministry also said that there was an increase of 525 Coronavirus cases in the last 24 hours. (Image: AFP)

New Delhi: In what comes as a scary revelation amid the ongoing Coronavirus crisis, the Union Health Ministry on Saturday confirmed that most of the Covid-19 cases emerging across the country have found to be in between the age group of 21-40 years. Speaking about the same during a press conference earlier in the day, Health Ministry said that an age-wise analysis of Coronavirus patients in India shows that 42 per cent of them belong to the age group of 21-40. It also revealed that the next most-hit age group was found to be those between the age group of 41-50 years, which comprises nearly 33 per cent of overall Covid-19 cases in the country. The ministry also said that senior citizens (above 60 years), who were said to be at severe risk of getting infected from the virus, form 17 per cent of the Covid-19 patient group in the country as of now. WATCH REPORT | Health Ministry: 42% Covid-19 Cases Between Age Group 21-40 "Only 9 per cent of those below 20 years of age have been found to be Coronavirus positive," the Health Ministry added. The Health Ministry today also announced a major decision that can be seen as a reprieve for many in the country. It said that Central government decided has to make the testing and treatment for COVID-19 available under Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PM JAY) for free. With this announcement, more than 50 crore citizens, eligible under the government's health assurance scheme will be able to avail free testing through private labs and treatment for COVID -19 in empanelled hospitals as well.

More than 50 crore poor & vulnerable citizens shall henceforth be eligible for free #COVID_19 testing & treatment under #AyushmanBharat #PMJAY Testing at private labs & treatment in designated hospitals now made free for Ayushman beneficiaries across India@AyushmanNHA @ibhushan pic.twitter.com/ikXQhhYJJy

— Dr Harsh Vardhan (@drharshvardhan) April 4, 2020

These tests would be carried out as per Indian Council for Medical Research (ICMR) guidelines and by private labs either approved or registered by the ICMR. Treatment of COVID-19 by private hospitals will also be covered under the scheme. Ayushman Bharat-Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PM JAY) is the flagship scheme of the Centre that provides cashless and paperless access to medical services. The decision has been taken to increase the supply of testing and treatment facilities as well as increase access to them by roping in the private sector through the scheme.

#IndiaFightsCorona: For updates on #COVID19, please see :https://t.co/5ldaIlkQTc#SwasthaBharat #HealthForAll #Lockdown21 @PMOIndia @drharshvardhan @AshwiniKChoubey @PIB_India @PIBHomeAffairs @MIB_India @MoCA_GoI @COVIDNewsByMIB @mygovindia

— Ministry of Health 🇮🇳 #StayHome #StaySafe (@MoHFW_INDIA) April 4, 2020

This decision will also help attract more private sector players for providing testing and treatment for COVID-19 which is likely to be critical in case there is a surge in the number of patient that need care. The Health Ministry also said that there was an increase of 525 Coronavirus cases in the last 24 hours, the largest spike in a day. Total number of Covid-19 positive cases rise to 3,072 in India (including 2784 active cases, 213 cured/ discharged/ migrated people and 75 deaths).