47% of Covid-19 deaths among those aged below 60 years: Health Ministry

About 47 per cent of COVID-19 deaths have been recorded among those aged below 60 years, the Health Ministry said on Tuesday.

Addressing a press briefing, Health Ministry Secretary Rajesh Bhushan said about 70 per cent COVID-19 deaths have been of male patients while 30 per cent of fatalities from the infection has been reported in females.

"About 53 per cent COVID-19 deaths registered among those aged 60 and above, 35 per cent in 45-60 years, 10 per cent in 26-44 years and 1 per cent each in the age-group 18-25 years and below 17 years," Bhushan said.

Providing data on case fatality rate among different age groups with and without comorbidities, he said in the age group of 60 years and above, 24.6 per cent of deaths were of people with comorbidities while 4.8 per cent were of those without comorbidities.

In the age group of 45-60 years, 13.9 per cent of deaths were of patients with comorbidities while 1.5 per cent were of those without comorbidities, he said.

In the age group of less than 45 years, people with comorbidities constituted 8.8 per cent of deaths while 0.2 per cent didn't have any comorbidities, he said.

The overall case fatality rate of people with comorbidities stood at 17.9 per cent and 1.2 per cent for those without comorbidities.

Bhushan further said there has been decline in the cumulative, weekly and daily COVID-19 positivity rates which stand at 8.07 per cent, 6.24 per cent and 5.16 per cent respectively.

"Average daily COVID-19 positivity rate has declined from 8.50 per cent between September 9-September 15 to 6.24 per cent between October 7-October 13," he added.

He further said there are 8,38,729 active cases in the country as on date and they have been below the nine lakh mark for the fifth consecutive day.

Presenting the data, Bhushan said there is "significant increase" in testing for COVID-19 and there is also continuous decline in positivity rate.