Those who are 60 years of age or above make up only 10% of coronavirus patients in Bangladesh, but they account for 50% of fatalities from the virus.
Experts have attributed this to comorbidities and weakened immune systems of the senior citizens, reports UNB.
They advised the elderly people to be more careful, stay indoors, strictly follow social distancing, take nutritious food and follow the advice of their doctors to remain safe from the virus.
Situation in other countries
The experts think coronavirus is showing much pity on Bangladeshi elderly people as over 70 percent deaths from the virus in most other severely affected countries are among people in their 60s or older.
Quoting the head of the World Health Organization’s office in Europe, Dr Hans Kluge, news agency AP in its report on April 2 said, more than 95% of people who have died of coronavirus in Europe were aged over 60.
According to Indian Health Ministry data released on Saturday, 75.3% of the Covid-19 deaths in India have been recorded in those who are 60 years of age and above.
As per official data, 80% of deaths in China were among people in their 60s or older.
IEDCR
Prof Meerjady Sabrina Flora, director of the Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research (IEDCR), said the percentage of people aged over 60 infected with the coronavirus is relatively low, but the mortality rate in this group is high as they have many other underlying health problems.
Giving an age-wise analysis, she said of the total of 2,456 virus infected cases in the country as of Sunday, around 10% people are in the age group of 60 or above while over 60% are in the age group of 21-50.
Meerjady Sabrina Flora said: “Sometimes it’s seen that the people of the 21-30 age group are affected much more and sometimes people in the age group of 31-40 or 41-50 are falling victims more.
“But the elderly people are always there in between 10 and 11% as we have fewer old people than the much younger ones,” she added.
During the same period, Flora said 91 people died from the virus and more or less 50% of these deaths occurred in those older than 60 years and above.
“This percentage is much higher in other countries than in Bangladesh,” she said.
She said the death rate is low among the Covid-19 affected younger population as they can recover quickly with their strong immune system.
The IEDCR director said elderly people must remain very careful, strictly maintain social distancing and should not come out of home to avoid infection from the deadly virus.
Health officials around the country
Contacted, Vice-Chancellor of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU) Prof Kanak Kanti Barua, said people aged over 60, particularly those who have comorbidities or heart, lung, kidney conditions, hypertension, blood pressure, diabetes, and breathing problems, are most vulnerable to the coronavirus.
On the other hand, he said, elderly people’s immune system cannot resist many viral diseases.
Kanak Kanti Barua said: “Older people having lung and breathing problems are at the highest risk of dying from coronavirus.
“They should remain in touch with their doctors over phone and take medicine regularly for the diseases they are already suffering from as per their doctors’ advice,” he added.
He suggested elderly people stay home always and wash their hands frequently with soap.
Prof Dr Harun-or-Rashid, head of medicine department at Dhaka Community Medical College & Hospital (DCMCH), said the morality rate of corona-infected people of the aging population is higher than younger ones all over the word, including Bangladesh.
He said elderly people should remain alert and maintain social distancing even from their family members.
Dr Rashid said many elderly people in Bangladesh get affected with influenza during May to July which finally turns into pneumonia.
“So, they should be given pneumonia vaccine now,” he added.
He said people above 60 should gargle with warm water and avoid using air-conditioners.
He advised: “They should take food enriched with nutrition and protein, and fruits and vegetable enriched with vitamin B and C. They also need sunlight exposure for vitamin D and special care from family members.”
He also suggested they should walk inside their houses and do some physical exercises to remain fit and get rid of anxiety.
“It’ll help them have sound sleep as well,” he added.
Prof AKM Nurun Nabi of Dhaka University’s Population Sciences department said elderly people aged 60 years and above constitute around 7.5% (12.5 million) of the country’s total population.
He said: “Elderly people are usually vulnerable to any disease as they lose their resistance power and suffer from various chronic and critical diseases. So, the mortality rate of aged Covid-19 patients is very high all over the world."
