Young people increasingly dying of Covid-19

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Nairobi youths

What you need to know:

  • Although people above age 60 remain more susceptible than the rest, young people under the age of 40 are increasingly dying.
  • Just like Kenya, more men than women are dying from Covid-19 globally, with experts attributing this to biology, as well as behaviour, as among the reasons. 

In nearly one month, the number of young, healthy people dying of the coronavirus has significantly increased.

Although people above age 60 remain more susceptible than the rest, young people under the age of 40 are increasingly dying.

Some have died at home while others have died soon after arriving at hospitals, which may point to two things: either they took long before going to the hospital or the disease progressed rapidly.

It is difficult to analyse some of the deaths as many - at least 86 men and nine women - have died at home.

Data from the Ministry of Health shows that as of July 1, at least 16 young adults aged between 20 and 39 have so far succumbed to the highly contagious respiratory illness, with more men (11) than women (five).

Twenty of them had hypertension and diabetes while 13 had diabetes and five hypertension. Conversely, patients with HIV/AIDS (two), kidney disorders (two), and liver disease have been found to be less likely to succumb to Covid-19.

MORE MEN

Just like Kenya, more men than women are dying from Covid-19 globally, with experts attributing this to biology, as well as behaviour, as among the reasons.

With 37 deaths reported in just two weeks, the numbers seem to be increasing at an exponential rate than before as the country resumed near normal operations.

While people who died also had a higher prevalence of cancer, chronic kidney disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and previous or current Tuberculosis (TB), the strongest risk factors for Covid-19 deaths in the country have been found to be older age, hypertension and diabetes.

Liver disease, intestinal obstruction, head injury, TB and HIV were also risk factors, but to a lesser extent.

HIV FACTOR

A study carried out in South Africa, however, shows that HIV can raise the risk of death from Covid-19.

Scientists documented that around eight per cent of the deaths in South Africa’s Western Cape province were as a result of Covid-19, Dr Mary-Ann Davies of the Western Cape Health Department said in the just concluded virtual 23rd International AIDS Conference.

In Kenya, 1.6 million people are living with HIV. Out of these, 184,718 are young adults aged 15 to 24 years. Although there is an increased risk of dying from Covid-19 among HIV-positive people, that risk is said to be modest, largely because of the youthful population living with the virus.

 The South African analysis looked at approximately 3.5 million adults receiving public sector healthcare in the Western Cape province, both in the community and in hospital.

The analysis investigated risk factors for death in people with a positive SARS-CoV-2 test, providing updated data and more detailed analyses than a previous presentation of the findings.

Most other studies on Covid-19 in people with HIV have only included hospitalised patients.  It is estimated that a total of 26,000 deaths from Covid-19 will be reported over the next one year.