Study of the Characteristics of Positive Contacts and Hospitalized Cases in Multiple Waves of the Covid -19 Pandemic in Pali District of Western Rajasthan: A Secondary Data Analysis

Abstract

Background: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), the pandemic that invaded the world in 2020, caused more
than 70 million cases and exceeded a million and a half deaths worldwide by the end of the year. Age and sex have
been identified as two of the prominent risk factors in COVID-19 deaths. Early epidemiological studies conducted
in China, India, and Iran revealed that fewer females were infected by SARS-CoV2(4-9).
It is imperative for national governments to identify which population members are at high risk of becoming ill
or more likely to die. This analysis emphasizes the early epidemiological features of COVID-19 cases in the OPD
in order to guide to policy decisions on the health, commercial, social, and economic fronts in case of any future
surge in Covid cases.
Methods: The data collected during contact tracing (urban and rural ) and hospital admissions during the periods:
February 2020 to October 2020 (first wave) and April 2021 to June 2021 (second wave) and December 2021 to
February 2022 (Third wave) were analyzed for demographics and other characteristics.
Present study shows that frequency of positive case is more in rural people in age group II (15-50 years) than urban
people. Male case is higher in rural areas and female cases are higher in urban areas, hospital admission and ICU
admission were higher in rural people while death was reported higher in urban areas.
Better targeting of interventions may help to limit expensive interventions such as intensive care admissions and
avoid deaths. To create an efficient, equitable response to the pandemic, especially in countries where resources
are limited awareness of the roles of gender, age and geography in the outbreak are imperative.