A doctor in Brussels says that more young people are presenting with severe symptoms of COVID-19. Dr. Ignace Demeyer says these newer, younger patients all seem to have the same story. They felt sick, assumed they had the flu, and stayed home for a week. When they were still feeling bad, these patients came in—and ended up in the emergency room. “They are people who do not smoke, who have no other conditions such as diabetes or heart failure,” says Demeyer. Their lung scans are so terrifying because of a startlingly low level of oxygen saturation in the bloodstream. He’s confident they can recover—but he cautions that these cases have the potential to become life-threatening, despite their young age. (1)
The Young and the Risky
It’s not just Dr. Demeyer that is concerned. Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Anthony Fauci cautions that young people should not be complacent. “You are not immune or safe from getting seriously ill,” he says, directing his comments towards younger people. “The virus isn’t a mathematical formula. There are going to be people who are young who are going to wind up getting seriously ill.” Even though only 0.2-0.4% of fatalities from COVID 19 have been in the age range of 20-44, there are other dangers with young people getting infected. Fauci says that the most pressing danger from those under fifty is that they will spread the disease to someone else. “You could bring it to a person who would bring it to a person that would bring it to your grandfather, your grandmother or your elderly relative,” he warns. The highly transmissible nature of COVID-19 makes this a chilling possibility. (2,3)
Why You Should Care
Even though you may not be in severe danger of dying from COVID-19, then, there are many reasons to take precautions. Twenty percent of infected people in that 20-44 age bracket end up hospitalized. Even if you recover, spending time in the hospital is not just unpleasant for you, it takes up space that those in serious condition could use. And if you think you’ll just stay home and tough it out—that still might not be enough to save a life. As Director Fauci says, the disease doesn’t need to stem from you directly—you could be just one link of a chain that kills someone in a high-risk group. (3)
How To Reduce Your Risk
Social distancing is a very popular term, and perhaps you’re not sure what exactly is involved. But the White House has released a guide to help people reduce their contagion risk as much as possible. They advise that you should work or study from home if it is possible, and work with your workplace to follow CDC protocols if you can’t. If you’ve heard that social gatherings of over fifty people are a no-go, think again—that number is now down to ten in the United States – two in Germany. Do not go out for unnecessary reasons—no recreational shopping, sit-down restaurant visits, or events. Call you friends and tell them game night is off. Unless, of course, you want to play games through zoom, which I’ve done!
And, most importantly, don’t forget to wash your hands! (4)
