Covid-19 Pandemic People aged 20-40 are ‘super spreader’

As the number of Covid-19 cases keeps rising with the advent of winter, people aged between 20 and 40 are the super spreader of this highly contagious virus, experts said.

They said, people of this age boundary are usually the most exposed to Covid-19 infection as they are of the working age population and need to go outside for livelihood.

According to the demographic case distribution of all confirmed cases in the country, more than half of infected are aged between 21 and 40 years.

On the other hand, death rate is higher among the Covid-19 patients aged older than 50 years.

It is around more than 79 percent, according to yesterday's press release from the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).

"People of this age group usually go outside more than others to earn livelihood. So, it is more important for them to stay sincere about maintaining health rules -- wearing masks, washing hands frequently and maintaining physical distance," Prof Tahmina Shirin, director of IEDCR told The Daily Star recently.

Meanwhile, males constituted more than 70 percent both in infection and deaths, according to the IEDCR.

In line with implementing health rules actively, experts also stressed on more tests daily.

Prof Ridwanur Rahman, an infectious disease specialist, said, "The figures we are getting daily are only a snapshot of the whole picture. To get the real picture, we will need at least five lakh tests daily."

Terming the transmission control measures inadequate, he said, "There is no suppressive measures in the country. It is as like the epidemic situation like the Spanish flu in 1918. The infections will continue until either 60-70 percent of the population are infected or they are vaccinated."

31 DIED, 1,666 INFECTED

In the last 24 hours till 8:00am yesterday, a total of 31 people died from Covid-19, according to the DGHS press release.

With this, the total number of deaths reached at 6,838 and the death rate was 1.43 percent.

A total of 1,666 new infections were recorded in the meantime, taking the total number of people infected to 477,545, added the press release.

Against a total of 13,218 tests in the same 24-hour period, the positivity rate was 12.60 percent while the overall positivity rate was 16.68 percent.

After antigen-based rapid testing was introduced in ten districts from Saturday, the number of Covid-19 testing laboratories rose to 137 including 15 gene-expert labs and 112 rt-PCR laboratories.

Health Minister Zahid Maleque also urged yesterday people to get tested for Covid-19.

"Introducing antigen tests was a demand from the people. We have introduced it in ten districts; will introduce it in all districts gradually. We have PCR labs; are testing coronavirus using gene-expert machines too… Patients, however, have to come for tests."

Earlier on Saturday, the minister alleged that people are not coming for tests for which the number of tests is not increasing.

"You come, get tested, take treatment, take service; you will stay well," the minister said to the people with Covid-19 symptoms.

Meanwhile, 2,552 Covid-19 patients have recovered in the same 24-hour period, raising the number of recoveries to 395,960.

With this, the recovery rate was 82.92 percent.

In the same 24 hours, 338 people were put under isolation, the release added.

Among the dead, 24 were males and seven were females.

One but all died in hospitals, according to the press release.

One of them aged between 31 and 40 years, five between 41 and 50, four between 51 and 60, and 21 above 60 years.