Age and sex distribution trends of SARS-CoV-2 infections: Insights from three epidemic waves in Puducherry, India
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.3855/jidc.20689Keywords:
COVID-19, rRT‒PCR, disease transmission, age trend, sex distribution, Puducherry, IndiaAbstract
Introduction: This study analyzed the age and sex distribution of COVID-19 patients during the initial three COVID-19 waves in Puducherry, India, from August 2020 to March 2022, to understand the distribution of infection across different demographic groups.
Methods: The disease surveillance program conducted at ICMR-Vector Control Research Centre processed 79,705 Throat Swab/Nasal Swab (TSNS) samples received from various institutions in Puducherry through the Integrated Disease Surveillance Program (IDSP). Real-time reverse-transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (rRT-PCR) was performed following approved protocols.
Results: Test positivity rates during the second (14.6%) and third waves (25.1%) were significantly higher than the first wave (11.4%). In the first wave, children (p < 0.001) and elderly individuals (p = 0.017) had a lower risk of testing positive than adults. However, in the second wave, elderly individuals had a 1.12 (95% CI: 1.03 – 1.23) times greater risk of contracting COVID-19 (p = 0.013). Children had a lower risk of testing positive across all waves (p < 0.001). A significant sex difference was noted only in the first wave, with males having a 1.27 (1.18-1.37) times greater chance of being COVID-19 positive. The mean age of female patients was significantly younger than male patients in the third wave (p = 0.008). The third wave showed an increasing trend of infection across all age groups and sexes, especially among younger individuals.
Conclusions: The study highlights an increasing trend of infections across all age groups and sexes during the third wave. Micro-epidemiological analyses are crucial for developing targeted intervention strategies that address age and sex demographics effectively.
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Copyright (c) 2025 Lourduraj John De Britto, Arya Rahul, Dinesh Sundaram, Balakrishnan Vijayakumar, Thirumal Sankari, Muthukumaravel Subramanian, Raja Jeyapal Dinesh, Philip Raj Abraham, Panneer Devaraju, Yasin Nazeer, Ayyanar Elango, Balasubramaniyan Ramalingam, Kulandaisamy Athisaya Mary, Suchi Tyagi, Rituraj Niranjan, Paramasivan Rajaiah, Mayilsamy Muniaraj, Narendran Pradeep Kumar, Irudayaraj Geetha, Ananganallur Nagarajan Shriram, Adinarayanan Srividya, Vijesh Sreedhar Kuttiatt, Ashwani Kumar
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