SRINAGAR: Experts have warned that elderly and persons with low immunity are more vulnerable to Covid-19 as they are at greater risk of contracting the virus.
Talking to new agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), renowned flu expert of Jammu and Kashmir, Dr. Nisar ul Hassan said that elderly and persons with low immunity are more vulnerable to Covid-19 because of physiological changes that come with ageing and potential underlying heath conditions.
He said that there are several factors which make elderly people and persons with low immunity vulnerable to Coronavirus. “As people get older, it is more frequent that they have co-morbid conditions such as diabetes, renal failure and arthritis. Many co-morbid conditions both the number and type of co-morbid conditions, predispose people to infections,” he said.
He said that people who get older there is Immunosenescence among them which means their immune system doesn’t function well and the combination of increased co-morbid conditions and the decrease in activity of the immune system can make people more prone to infections.
“Our body is constantly bombarded by pathogens like bacteria, fungi and viruses that make us sick and it is our body’s defence system that fights against these invaders,” he said adding that even before we are born, our body starts producing B-cells and T-cells (types of white blood cells) that can recognize pathogens and blocks their growth.
He said that during an infection, our B-cells proliferate and produce antibodies that grab pathogens and block their ability to spread within the body and T-cells work by recognizing infected cells and killing them and together T-cells and B-cells make adaptive immune system.
“People with low immune systems are weaker and when a pathogen invades the difference between illness and health is a race between how fast the pathogen can spread and how fast immune response can react without causing too much damage,” he said adding that as people grow older, their innate and adaptive immune responses change, and there is shifting balance.
“Due to their weak immune system, aged people are more vulnerable to infectious disease and the underlying heart disease, diabetes or kidney issues weakens their body’s ability to fight,” Dr, Nisar said adding that people in J&K have died due to their weak immune system and that was due to their underlying health condition and not due to Covid-19.
As per the data available with KNO people below 40 have 0.2% chances of dying, people of age group 40-50 have a 0.4%, people in their 60s have 1.3%, people in their 70s have 3.6%, people in 80s have 8% and people over 80 have 14.8% chances of dying due to Covid-19.
Data also suggests that over 95% of deaths occurred in the age group of above 60 years. More than 50% of all fatalities involved people aged 80 years or older.
Reports show that 8 out of 10 deaths are occurring in individuals with at least one co-morbidity, particularly those with cardiovascular disease, hypertension and diabetes, but also with a range of other chronic underlying conditions.
Pertinently in Jammu and Kashmir Union Territory, so far 5 persons have died due to Covid-19 and all of them were from the age group of over 50 years.
On 17 April, a 70-year-old man from Arampora Sopore died at JVC Bemina, on 8th April, a 61-year-old lady from Udhampur died at GMC Jammu and on 7th April, a 54-year-old man from Bandipora died at SMHS Srinagar.
On 29 March, a 50-year-old man from Tangmarg area died at CD hospital and on 25th March, a 65-year-old Tableegi preacher from Hyderpora died at CD hospital who was the first person to die of Covid-19 in Jammu and Kashmir.