More than half of coronavirus cases in Australia are among people aged 25 to 54, data shows.
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So far, the disease has shown up in people in midlife, with fewer numbers among younger and older age groups. People aged 25 to 54 make up 53 per cent of cases.
People aged 70 plus make up 10 per cent of cases, and people aged under 25 make up 11 per cent. Just six cases have been recorded in children under 10.
Among the middle years, the disease rates are relatively evenly spread, with slightly more among 25 to 39 year-olds than in people aged 40 to 54, or 55 to 70. People in the 25 to 39 age group make up 30 per cent of the country's total.
The data is based on the first 1529 cases.
Men outnumber women among those infected, but not to the extent that has shown up in countries like China, where smoking rates among men have been posited as one reason for their higher rates of disease.
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In Australia, 53 per cent of infected people are men and 47 per cent women. The biggest sex discrepancy by far is in the 40 to 49 age group, where almost two-thirds of the cases are among men (158 cases, compared with 88 for women). In China and Italy, 60 per cent of cases were among men.
The data suggests that Australia has so far been successful in keeping older people safe from the coronavirus, which has a much higher death rate among the elderly than the young. It also suggests that if it is circulating among people under 25, they are not showing symptoms or they don't meet the testing criteria.
- For information on COVID-19, please go to the ACT Health website or federal Health Department's website.
- You can also call the Coronavirus Health Information Line on 1800 020 080
- If you have serious symptoms, such as difficulty breathing, call Triple Zero (000)
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