ISLAMABAD: The number of Covid-19 cases in the capital in July increased seven times compared to April, according to data of the District Health Department.

In April this year, the city had reported only 133 cases. However, so far in July 928 people have been found infected. By the end of the month, the figure might go up by nine-fold as 47 people tested positive on Monday.

The data available with Dawn showed a steady increase in the graph as in May 202 cases had emerged and then in June the number increased to 782.

While residents of the federal capital have been divided into seven age-wise groups, the distribution of cases showed that till date most of the cases - 39,535 - have been reported in 31 to 45 years age group. The 21 and 30 years age group is the second most affected with 28,470 cases since 2020.

Most patients aged between 31-45 years, data shows

The age group of 46 to 60 years is the third most affected with 23,973 cases. Children up to the age of 10 years have been placed at fourth number with 15,642 cases.

The age group from 11 to 20 years has been ranked fifth as 13,584 people have been infected. As many as 13,023 people belonging to 61 to 80 years age group were also found infected since the beginning of the pandemic.

People aged over 80 years were hardly infected as data showed that only 1,414 cases were reported in this group during the last over two years.

On Monday, 26 patients were admitted to hospitals of which 13 were kept in general beds, 12 on oxygen and one patient was on ventilator.

According to District Health Officer Dr Zaeem Zia, though the number of cases had increased, hospitalisation cases were under control as 466 beds and 68 ventilators were dedicated to the Covid-19 patients in the city.

He said it was due to the fact that almost every vaccine-eligible person in the capital had been vaccinated.

The data showed that the Islamabad had a total population of 2.3 million and the first lab confirmed Covid-19 case in the city was reported on Feb 26, 2020. So far, the city has reported 137,120 cases of which 1,027 patients died.

Published in Dawn, July 26th, 2022