Ggm: 60% COVID-19 deaths below 60 years of age; 54% had no comorbidities

New Delhi: As COVID-19 fatalities in Gurugram rose dramatically in June with 27 patients having succumbed to the disease in just the last four days, a disturbing trend has now emerged from official data which shows that over 54 per cent of the total fatalities in the NCR city did not have any comorbid conditions and are suspected to have been killed by the novel Coronavirus.

The data showed that of the total 46 COVID-19 deaths in the city, 25 did not have comorbidities, according to officials of the Gurugram Health Department, revealing that 54.3 per cent of deaths were suspected to have been caused just by

the virus and complications due to it.

Significantly, 60.8 per cent of COVID-19 deaths in Gurugram have been of patients younger than 60 years of age, with the youngest fatality being that of an 18-year-old man from Sector-43, who died on June 5. Of the 46 deaths, 28 were aged below 60, while the remaining 18 were over 60 years old.

The city reported its first death on May 21, a 33-year-old patient from Sector 53. However, the patient was suffering from Tuberculosis and was sent to PGIMS, Rohtak where he lost his life to the virus. The second death came just a day later when a 75-year-old from Rajendra Nagar also lost his life after getting infected with the virus. A 62-year old person from Surya Vihar also lost his life on May 28. The oldest person to have died because of the disease was a 90-year-old lady from Hari Nagar in Old Gurugram.

Subsequently, other people below 60 years of age who have died include a woman of age 40 years from Sector 10-A and a 56-year man from Essel Towers. On June 11, a 44-year-old woman from Jyoti Park area also lost her life to COVID-19. The relatives of the deceased had alleged that the private hospital that had provided the ambulance had run out of oxygen cylinders that ultimately led to her death. The management of the private hospital also lodged a complaint that the patient was brought in a critical situation and that the relatives had purportedly manhandled hospital staff. Other young patients who had ages of 34, 40, 35, 37, 51, 56, 57, 42 could not be saved by the doctors while being treated for COVID-19.

COVID-19 has also resulted in the death of a Gurugram Police official who had months left before retirement. 57-year-old Pravin Dagar, who had recently become a grandfather also lost his life due to the disease. With a large number of young patients contracting the infection, officials of the District Administration are now emphasising strengthening immunity among residents, for which doctors of the Gurugram Health Department have also released a diet plan.

However, calls getting louder among residents for another total lockdown, the district administration has refused to entertain such an option and the State government has also made no indication of a total shutdown returning.