DOH: Majority of COVID-19 cases are from working age group 

DOH Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire talks with reporters via Zoom meeting in this file photo taken on April 23, 2020. INQUIRER.net file photo / Daphne Galvez

MANILA, Philippines — Majority of coronavirus disease 2019 cases are in the “productive age group” or those in the workforce, the Department of Health said Friday.

Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said the number of cases in the working-age group is estimated to be over 113,000, the breakdown of which are the following:

• 20 to 29 years old – 37,188
• 30 to 39 years old – 34,700
• 40 to 49 years old – 23,939
• 50 to 59 years old – 18,087

“Ang bulk pa rin ng number ng cases natin ay nasa productive age group. Nandoon siya sa 20 years old until about 59 years old,” she told reporters in an online media forum.

(The bulk of our cases are in the productive age group, which ranges from 20 years old to 59 years old.)

“Ito ‘yung working group natin kasi sila ‘yung lumalabas, nagta-trabaho, babalik sa pamilya, magkakasakit, mai-infect ‘yung iba,” Vergeire added.

(This is the working group. They are the ones who leave their house to go to work, then go home and infect other family members.)

She also provided the breakdown of cases of children and senior citizens:

• Below 10 years old – more than 3,500
• 10 to 19 years old – 6,249
• 60 to 69 years old – 10,687
• 70 to 79 years old – more than 4,000
• Above 80 years old – more than 1,000

The rising number of cases among children and the youth could be because they are infected by a family member who goes out to work, the Health official surmised.

“Part of the households are children so maaari na pag umuwi sila (working group), maaaring naapektuhan ‘yung mga bata at nai-infect,” Vergeire said.

As of August 14, there are 147,526 confirmed COVID-19 cases in the country, with 70,387 recoveries and 2,426 deaths.

JPV