Since June 1, 84 persons aged below 50 have succumbed to COVID-19 in Tamil Nadu. While more than half of them had at least one co-morbidity, doctors said that a cause for worry was the delay in seeking medical help.
An analysis of the Health Department’s daily bulletins showed that 63 men and 21 women, aged 17 to 49, died after testing positive for COVID-19, from June 1 to 20. At least 25 of them did not have co-morbid conditions, and cardiopulmonary arrest, acute respiratory distress syndrome, respiratory failure and COVID-19 pneumonia were among causes of their deaths.
This is three times more than the deaths recorded in the age group last month. In May, a total of 28 persons in the age group had succumbed to the infection.
Of the 84 persons, 48 were in their 40s, while 25 of them were aged 31-39. Ten persons were in their 20s, while of them was a teenager. Diabetes and systemic hypertension were the commonest co-morbidities among this age group, while a few had morbid obesity, hypothyroidism and kidney diseases. Many of them presented with fever, cough and difficulty in breathing for more than two days.
Causes for concern
Though the mortality among this age group is minimal, a few individuals have died without obvious reasons, said officials. For instance, on June 16, a 40-year-old man who had no co-morbid conditions was brought dead to the Government Hospital in Hosur. He had difficulty in breathing for two hours, and the cause of death was acute respiratory distress syndrome.
R. Narasimhan, chairman, Respiratory Research Foundation of India, said that hypoxia had become one of the main features and was a silent symptom. “Many young people think they are healthy and that they need not wear masks. Some could have unknown diseases that could predispose them. Whether they have co-morbid conditions or not, they should take precautionary measures such as wearing masks, maintaining physical distancing and washing hands,” he said.
A government doctor on COVID-19 duty in Chennai said the deaths were mostly due to very late presentation. “We are now seeing young people who are very sick. They come in seven to 10 days after the first symptoms. By then the disease becomes very severe and there is a dip in the oxygen saturation level on admission. It becomes difficult to treat and they do not respond to medication,” he said.
He added that many assumed that it was ordinary viral fever and took paracetamol, that may not be adequate. “When they come, there are complaints of breathing difficulty for three to four days, and CT scans show 60-80% lung involvement. Most of them also have happy hypoxia, that is, they do not know that their oxygen levels are low,” he said. While fever may or may not persist, myalgia is the primary symptom, followed by a loss of appetite and taste and loose stools, he added.
