The World Health Organization on Tuesday warned that the transmission of coronavirus is largely being driven by people in their 20s, 30s, and 40s who are not aware that they are infected, as most of them are asymptomatic or have very mild symptoms.
WHO’s regional director for the Western Pacific Dr. Takeshi Kasai believes that most young people have mild symptoms or have never developed any symptoms, which increases the risk of the transmission of coronavirus in the most vulnerable: the sick, the elderly, people living in densely populated areas and people in long term care.
Also Read: Do Outdoor Classes Provide a Safe Environment for In-Person Learning?
According to Kasai the world leaders and people must double their efforts to stop the transmission of coronavirus in vulnerable communities. He said that it is encouraging to see that many countries in the western pacific are already adopting new tactics to help minimize the social and economic consequences of coronavirus and shown how to cope with it in the foreseeable future. Scientists are still trying to figure out why the virus becomes severe in some people but not others.
Nearly 22 million are infected with the coronavirus around the globe and at least 774,600 have died because of it, according to data by Johns Hopkins University. WHO published an analysis of six million people infected between 24th of Feb and 12th of July at the start of August which showed that the percentage of infections between the ages of 15 and 24 rose from 4.5% to 15% in that period.
State Health Officials in the US believe that young people are contracting the virus at a higher rate because they are ignoring social distancing and wearing masks. Vice President of the US Mike Pence said in June that nearly half of the new cases of coronavirus in the country at that time were of people aged 35 and under, particularly in Texas and Florida.
Director of National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and an immunologist Dr. Anthony Fauci said that complications are increasing related to covid19 in young people. He also urged the young people in the US to not take the virus lightly as doing so would result in the transmission of coronavirus. He further said that you have to take responsibility for yourself and also a societal responsibility that if you are infected you are not in a vacuum, you will spread the virus.
Some people get mild symptoms while some have no symptoms and some have symptoms that are enough to make them isolate themselves for weeks. Some have symptoms even after they have defeated the virus, some require additional oxygen, others are admitted to the hospital, some are admitted to Intensive Care Units, and some die said, Dr. Fauci. He believes that he has never seen a disease with such a wide range of symptoms.
The WHO said that even though there are a high number of cases in the world and in the US, the virus can still be controlled. It recommends people wear masks in order to slow the transmission of the virus. It also recommends people avoid going to crowded places, maintain social distancing, and wash hands regularly.