Are young people at risk for coronavirus?

The health message during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic so far has been: ‘the older you are, the more you are at risk’ of the respiratory disease. At the end of March 2020, however, the World Health Organisation (WHO) released an updated message warning young people that they should not consider themselves ‘invisible’. In this article, we look at the risks of coronavirus at different ages.
 

What is WHO’s message to younger people about COVID-19?

WHO Director-General Tedro Adhanom Ghebreyesus said: ‘Today, I have a message for young people: You are not invincible. The coronavirus could put you in hospital for weeks, or even kill you. Even if you don’t get sick, the choices you make about where you go could be the difference between life and death for someone else.’

He added: ‘every day, we are learning more about this coronavirus and the disease it causes. One of the things we are learning is that although older people are the hardest hit, younger people are not spared.

Data from many countries clearly show that people under 50 make up a significant proportion of patients requiring hospitalisation.’
 

Which age is most at risk?

Overall, older people are the most at risk. A research charity reported on the first 196 patients critically ill with COVID-19 in England and Wales and found that the average age of people being admitted to critical care units (CCU) was 63.

According to government figures, whilst older people, and those with co-existing medical conditions, such as high blood pressure, cancer, severe asthma and diabetes, are more likely to succumb to the disease, younger patients do still get seriously sick from coronavirus too.

On the week commencing Monday 20th March, the UK reported its youngest death as an 18-year-old with an underlying health condition. They are thought to be the youngest person who has died from COVID-19 in the country so far.

In Spain, the latest figures show that about 18% of hospitalised patients are under the age of 50. In South Korea, more than half of confirmed cases are also under age 50 with 20-29 as the largest group affected by the virus, although that figure does not highlight how many required hospitalisation.
 

What are the concerns about people only thinking the elderly were at risk?

There are concerns that younger people have been ignoring warnings over catching and spreading coronavirus because they believe that the disease is only a danger to the elderly.

There are reports of younger people ending up in intensive care units meaning that youngsters should not dismiss the virus or the safety measures that have been put in place by the government, which include social distancing and staying indoors.

WHO says: ‘although the evidence we have suggests that those over 60 are at risk, young people, including children, have died.’

If young people are less likely to become severely ill, they can still easily spread the virus to others. Some might be asymptomatic and not realise that they are infectious and may continue to hang around outside in parks or at the beach with their friends.

This is why social distancing - for all ages - is incredibly important in helping to stop the chain of transmission.

The information provided in this article is relevant to the date of which it was published in March 2020 and is subject to change.