While more than 7.5 million Australians have caught Covid-19 since the start of the pandemic, less than 10,000 of those infected have died.

Since January 2020, Australia has reported 7.8 million Covid cases and 9,269 died while infected – with the majority over 80.

Of the Covid-19 related deaths reported to June 17, 1,830 men and 1,311 women in this age bracket were reported to have died with the virus. 

Health Department figures showed of those aged 90 or over, 1,029 men and 1,286 women died with Covid.

New research has revealed that over three million Australians had been infected with Covid-19 by the end of February (pictured, a nurse conducts a Covid-19 test in Sydney)

New research has revealed that over three million Australians had been infected with Covid-19 by the end of February (pictured, a nurse conducts a Covid-19 test in Sydney)

New research has revealed that over three million Australians had been infected with Covid-19 by the end of February (pictured, a nurse conducts a Covid-19 test in Sydney)

Deaths from the 70 to 79 age bracket were 1,175 men and 620 women, then halved for those aged between 60 and 69 to 523 men and 288 women.

Fewer still were the 220 men and 135 women who died aged 50 and 59, while there were just 87 men and 52 women aged 40 to 49.

Fatalities plummeted even more drastically for lower age groups – to just 50 men and 30 women aged 30 to 39 and 14 men and 13 women between 20 and 29.

Teenagers and older children aged 10 to 19 had  four male and three female deaths, along with just five boys and four girls under 10.

The death toll among older Australians is despite far more younger people being infected, and surviving with little more than the flu. 

The majority of infections were recorded in Australians aged 20 to 29, with 844,028 cases, followed by those between 30 and 39. 

The survey used samples given by 5,185 unidentified blood donors aged 18 to 89 and tested for the presence of Covid-19 antibodies (pictured, medical staff transport a patient)

The survey used samples given by 5,185 unidentified blood donors aged 18 to 89 and tested for the presence of Covid-19 antibodies (pictured, medical staff transport a patient)

The survey used samples given by 5,185 unidentified blood donors aged 18 to 89 and tested for the presence of Covid-19 antibodies (pictured, medical staff transport a patient)

By comparison, 71,752 infections were recorded in 80 to 89-year-olds since the pandemic began, and less than 25,000 in those aged 90 or over. 

This means that despite more cases detected in younger age groups, those aged 70 and above have experienced significantly higher death rates. 

Men aged between 80 and 89 years old have the highest death rates at 1,830 mortalities followed by women in the same age bracket at 1,311 deaths. 

People with high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes or cancer were found to be more vulnerable to serious disease or death if they contracted Covid. 

While all age groups are at risk of contracting the virus, those aged 70 and over were at a greater risk due to potential underlying health conditions and physiological changes that come with ageing.

Scientists are closely monitoring one of the dominant new strains of Covid-19 for signs it could attack the lungs as the deadly Delta strain did

Scientists are closely monitoring one of the dominant new strains of Covid-19 for signs it could attack the lungs as the deadly Delta strain did

Scientists are closely monitoring one of the dominant new strains of Covid-19 for signs it could attack the lungs as the deadly Delta strain did

The most recent NSW Covid report said there was nothing to prove so far that BA.4 or BA.5 was deadlier than predecessors (pictured, a nurse performs a Covid-19 test in Sydney)

The most recent NSW Covid report said there was nothing to prove so far that BA.4 or BA.5 was deadlier than predecessors (pictured, a nurse performs a Covid-19 test in Sydney)

The most recent NSW Covid report said there was nothing to prove so far that BA.4 or BA.5 was deadlier than predecessors (pictured, a nurse performs a Covid-19 test in Sydney)

Scientists are closely monitoring one of the dominant new strains of Covid for signs it could attack the lungs in the same way the deadly Delta strain did.

A medical surveillance report into changes in the evolving Covid picture says BA.4 and BA.5 will dominate in coming weeks and will be the cause of rising infections.

The BA.2 sub-variant of the Omicron strain has dominated genomic testing but BA.4 and BA.5 appear to be taking over.

‘It is expected that BA.4 and BA.5 will become the dominant strain and will likely be associated with an increase in infections in the coming weeks,’ the June 11 NSW Respiratory Surveillance Report said.

The NSW Covid report said there was so far nothing to prove that BA.4 or BA.5 was deadlier than its predecessors.

‘There is no evidence of a difference in disease severity but this is being closely monitored,’ the report stated.

Scientists are closely monitoring one of the dominant new strains of Covid-19 for signs it could attack the lungs in the same way the deadly Delta strain did (stock image)

Scientists are closely monitoring one of the dominant new strains of Covid-19 for signs it could attack the lungs in the same way the deadly Delta strain did (stock image)

 Scientists are closely monitoring one of the dominant new strains of Covid-19 for signs it could attack the lungs in the same way the deadly Delta strain did (stock image)

‘The timing of any increase in Covid-19 infections as a result of the BA.4 and BA.5 sub-lineages will depend on a combination of factors, including the growth advantage, immunity levels in the population, and environmental and behavioural factors (e.g. social mixing, isolation when unwell).’

Numbers from the NSW Respiratory Surveillance Report for June 11 appeared to show Covid-19 remains disproportionately dangerous to the elderly.

Of the 80 deaths analysed in the report, 73 were aged 70 or over.

Since March 2020, Australia has seen 7.75 million Covid-19 cases with 9,269 people dying with the virus. 

Although NSW has seen more cases than any other state – 2.7 million – Victoria has the largest number of deaths, 3,702.

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