Risk factors for Covid-19 in India

Like many developing countries, India was devastated by the raging pandemic of Covid 19. With the active involvement of the government and the community, the disaster was fought with. However, the impact was uneven across the country. The present study aimed to identify the factors responsible for variation in case burden of Covid-19. Data on demographic factors and co-morbidities were obtained from different sources available in the public domain. Descriptive statistics were used for comparison between states. A total of 30 states were taken into account. Correlation was used to find out association between different factors and the burden of Covid-19. Data on Covid were collected till 9th May, 2021. The burden of Covid-19 was strongly related to the literacy status and economy of the state (r = 0.574 and 0.730, respectively). The burden of self-reported hypertension and diabetes was also statistically linked to the burden of Covid-19 (r = 0.539 and 0.721, respectively). Overweight and obesity were also associated with the burden of Covid-19 (r = 0.614 and 0.561, respectively). Therefore, in areas with a high proportion of patients with co-morbidities, limited resources may be mobilized for a better outcome. As the states with poor literacy and health condition suffered the most, tailored intervention is wanted to reach the poor and vulnerable.