1-20 Year-Olds Accounted For Under 12% Covid Cases In Both Waves: Centre

The age group 11-20 years accounted for 8.03 per cent in the first wave and 8.57 per cent in the second wave.

Dismissing assumptions that children and the younger population were more affected in the second wave of Covid, the government on Tuesday said those in the 1-20 age group accounted for less than 12 per cent of the cases recorded during both the waves. Those aged 1-20 years accounted for 11.62 per cent of the total cases during the second wave (March 15 to May 25) as against 11.31 per cent in the first wave (July 1 to December 31), indicating not much difference in the proportion of those infected in this age-group, according to the data shared by the government at a press conference.  The data showed that the 21-50 age group was the most affected category in both waves with the people from this category accounting for 59.74 per cent of the infections in the first wave as against 62.45 per cent in the second.  As for people aged above 61 years, the proportion was 13.89 per cent in the first wave and 12.58 in the second wave. Presenting age bifurcation of cases in first and second waves, Lav Agarwal, Joint Secretary in the Health Ministry, said the first wave saw 3.28 per cent cases coming from 1 to 10 years age group while it is 3.05 per cent in the second wave.