Director General of Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has stated that there has been more than 70 percent of COVID patients in the 40+ age group in both the first and second wave of the pandemic. The elderly population continues to be the most vulnerable group in both the waves.

He also went on to mention that shortness of breath is found to be little higher in the second wave when compared to the first wave, whereas symptoms of dry cough and sore throat were higher in the first wave. In the first wave 41.5 percent of people required oxygen, whereas this figure has increased to 54.5 percent this time. The incidence of corona in below 30 age-group has increased marginally, just by 1%; from 31 percent to 32 percent when both the waves have been compared.

No difference in death ratio of hospitalized patients of corona has been observed so far. The proportion of asymmptomatic patients is higher in the second wave, said he. Also, ventilator requirement was higher in the first wave and oxygen requirement is higher in the first wave of Covid-19. The comparative analysis is based on the sample size of 9,485 corona cases.