Proportion of youth with COVID-19 triples in five months: WHO

By Ankur Banerjee and Stephanie Nebehay

 

FILE PHOTO: Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO) Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus speaks during a news conference in Geneva, Switzerland January 30, 2020. REUTERS/Denis Balibouse/File Photo

 

(Reuters) - Young people who are hitting nightclubs and beaches are leading a rise in fresh coronavirus cases across the world, with the proportion of those aged 15 to 24 who are infected rising three-fold in about five months, the World Health Organization said.

 

An analysis by the WHO of 6 million infections between Feb. 24 and July 12 found that the share of people aged 15-24 years rose to 15% from 4.5%.

 

Apart from the United States which leads a global tally with 4.8 million total cases, European countries including Spain, Germany and France, and Asian countries such as Japan, have said that many of the newly infected are young people.

 

"Younger people tend to be less vigilant about masking and social distancing," Neysa Ernst, nurse manager at Johns Hopkins Hospital's biocontainment unit in Baltimore, Maryland told Reuters in an email.

 

"Travel increases your chances of getting and spreading COVID-19," she said, adding young people are more likely to go to work in the community, to a beach or the pub, or to buy groceries.

 

The surge in new cases, a so-called second wave of infections, has prompted some countries to impose new curbs on travel even as companies race to find a vaccine for the fast-spreading virus that has claimed more than 680,000 lives and upended economies.

 

Even countries such as Vietnam, widely praised for its mitigation efforts since the coronavirus appeared in late January, are battling new clusters of infection.

 

Among those aged 5-14 years, about 4.6% were infected, up from 0.8%, between Feb. 24 and July 12, the WHO said, at a time when testing has risen and public health experts are concerned that reopening of schools may lead to a surge in cases.

 

Anthony Fauci, the leading U.S. expert on infectious diseases, urged young people last month to continue to socially distance, wear masks and avoid crowds, and cautioned that asymptomatic people could spread the virus, too.

 

Indeed, health experts in several countries have urged similar measures as they report that infected youth show few symptoms.

 

"We've said this before and we'll say it again: young people are not invincible," WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told a news briefing in Geneva last week.

 

"Young people can be infected; young people can die; and young people can transmit the virus to others."

 

Last month, Tokyo officials said they would conduct coronavirus testing in the city's nightlife districts, and instructed nightclubs to provide customers with enough space with good ventilation and to ask them to avoid speaking loudly.

 

In France last month, authorities shut down a bar where people breached hygiene rules and caused an outbreak.

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2020-08-05

 

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Tedros should keep his big mouth shut, he's been making an ass out of himself all year.

 

So what if the young get it as a youngster, acquiring immunity to the other circulating coronaviruses at a young age (as infants) is what builds out immune systems and makes us have milder colds as we get older.

 

 

 

Edited August 5, 20205 yr by ukrules

1 hour ago, ukrules said:

Tedros should keep his big mouth shut, he's been making an ass out of himself all year.

 

So what if the young get it as a youngster, acquiring immunity to the other circulating coronaviruses at a young age (as infants) is what builds out immune systems and makes us have milder colds as we get older.

 

 

 

Uhhh maybe because they will spread it to more vulnerable people and generally make it harder to control .kids don’t think to much about consequences 

4 hours ago, ukrules said:

Tedros should keep his big mouth shut, he's been making an ass out of himself all year.

 

So what if the young get it as a youngster, acquiring immunity to the other circulating coronaviruses at a young age (as infants) is what builds out immune systems and makes us have milder colds as we get older.

 

There is a very basic, but important factor that you are missing.   Nobody knows how long immunity will last.   We do know that in other coronaviruses, immunity is fleeting, lasting months to a year or so.  Whether this virus will be similar we don't know.   SARS victims started showing signs of losing immunity (reduction in antibodies) within months of recovery.   

 

6 hours ago, Credo said:

There is a very basic, but important factor that you are missing.   Nobody knows how long immunity will last.   We do know that in other coronaviruses, immunity is fleeting, lasting months to a year or so.  Whether this virus will be similar we don't know.   SARS victims started showing signs of losing immunity (reduction in antibodies) within months of recovery.   

 

I'm not saying you are wrong, as no one knows yet, but do you agree that if there is no vaccine it will be impossible to keep lockdowns etc for ever, and eventually they will have to allow herd immunity to happen?

If you disagree, what other solution do you suggest?

IMO, the significant factor is not how many youths have the disease, but how many suffer death or severe complications.

If the great majority have nothing more than cold/ flu like symptoms with no complications, then it's probably no more significant than flu, and we haven't shut down the world for flu, even though it kills people.

 

4 minutes ago, thaibeachlovers said:

IMO, the significant factor is not how many youths have the disease, but how many suffer death or severe complications.

If the great majority have nothing more than cold/ flu like symptoms with no complications, then it's probably no more significant than flu, and we haven't shut down the world for flu, even though it kills people.

 

And the infection rate of others.

It is not just about youth dying or getting sick, also about them infecting others.

Edited August 5, 20205 yr by stevenl

11 hours ago, ukrules said:

Tedros should keep his big mouth shut, he's been making an ass out of himself all year.

 

So what if the young get it as a youngster, acquiring immunity to the other circulating coronaviruses at a young age (as infants) is what builds out immune systems and makes us have milder colds as we get older.

 

 

 

Perhaps the ongoing possible impairments of CVAs, kidney and cardiac impairment in younger people should be of concern.

How many deaths are acceptable for to achieve your herd immunity? 

Want hospital systems and workers to become infected and overloaded to the point of breakdown?

 

There is also no solid evidence (at this point) regarding anti bodies giving longer term protection from reinfection over a sustained period of time.

1 hour ago, thaibeachlovers said:

I'm not saying you are wrong, as no one knows yet, but do you agree that if there is no vaccine it will be impossible to keep lockdowns etc for ever, and eventually they will have to allow herd immunity to happen?

If you disagree, what other solution do you suggest?

Herd immunity really doesn't happen without a vaccine.  It takes a vaccine to protect enough people from a disease to get it under control.  We never controlled smallpox or polio without a vaccine.   Even the most mundane diseases such as measles continue to cause problems.   

The science people seem to be optimistic, so hopefully they will come up with something.   If they don't, it's pretty much a non-starter to try to continue with lockdowns.   We are a social species and we don't do well for long when we face isolation.   I think to see what will happen, we will need to look back at previous pandemics that have hung around.   

My guess is that it will eventually become a seasonal type of virus, but that's just a guess.   

Economically, it's an expensive illness.  The recovery time, even for mild cases is rather long and the contagious period is long.   It's difficult to visualize what type of world we will live in, but I suspect it will be very different for a long time.   
 

 

13 hours ago, ukrules said:

 

So what if the young get it as a youngster, acquiring immunity to the other circulating coronaviruses at a young age (as infants) is what builds out immune systems and makes us have milder colds as we get older.

Studies from Germany show that their first Covid patients had lost their antibodies already 3 months after they were cured. Even for a vaccine, the big question will be how long it will provide immunity. Even the flu shot has to be renewed every year. 

14 hours ago, ukrules said:

Tedros should keep his big mouth shut, he's been making an ass out of himself all year.

 

So what if the young get it as a youngster, acquiring immunity to the other circulating coronaviruses at a young age (as infants) is what builds out immune systems and makes us have milder colds as we get older.

 

 

 

It would make sense... if they actually got any immunity... But several cases now show that immunity doesn't even last a month.

sure, but how many are sick, in hospitals and actually DIED ? 

 

where can we see those numbaz ?

17 minutes ago, Bender Rodriguez said:

sure, but how many are sick, in hospitals and actually DIED ? 

 

where can we see those numbaz ?

You're looking for the wrong numbers, the ones that are more important are those of parents, grandparents, those with underlying health problems that would have been infected by them.

"let 'em crash" to borrow a quote from Airplane. This seems to be the attitude of the young. They don't get that even if they are not sick that they are condemning other people to a premature death because of their selfish behaviour. Honestly, why do people have to party? This is supposed to be a war. I can't imagine that in WW2 the civilians were partying every night. They worked long hours, risked air attacks and fought to won the war so they could party after victory. So many people are not getting it. To use the analogy of WW2, it is like everyone deciding that they've had enough of fighting Hitler in 1943, after the battle of Stalingrad and victory in North Africa.  Imagine how that would have ended.

Would it be too much trouble for this guy to share the death rate from Covid amongst this same 15-24 age group?  I am going to go out on a limb here and say it’s so insignificant that it would not be worth mentioning.  Why keep stirring the pot of fear? 

21 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

ask them to avoid speaking loudly.

What a joke! Reminds me of my misspent youth when I disliked discos because with the music so loud u couldnt have a conversation without shouting in each others faces! Drunks also tend to shout at each other. It always amuses me observing a young group drinking. As they drink more the conversation gets louder and louder and they end up shouting at each other; even without the music...lol.

Edited August 6, 20205 yr by SunsetT

Maybe I forgot my biology, but I thought antibodies build up to fight infections.  When encountering a new infection, the virus builds quickly while the body takes time to recognize a foreign body and develop a response (antibodies).  After the virus has been defeated, I would expect the un-needed antibodies to slowly decay.

But - the next time the same virus enters the body, the body quickly recognizes the virus and immediately ramps up production of the same antibodies it produced last time and quickly overwhelms the virus.  The virus is quickly attacked and cleansed from the body.

 

That is my memory of how we get immunity.  It is not from antibodies remaining in our bodies to fight a virus that is no longer in our bodies. It is from our bodies recognizing the virus quickly and already knowing how to make the appropriate antibodies 

 

I have not been hearing reports of confirmed cases of people recovering from the virus and getting a severe re-infection.  A minor re-infection would indicate the 2nd time the body fought it quickly will little adverse effects.  

 

It is a tragedy for anybody to die - but death is a natural part of living.  So is social interaction.  The lack of normal social interaction of people maybe very adversely affect a large part of population (especially younger people) for many years. 

 

My Mom is 79 years old and part of the high risk group.  I don't want her to die, but even she is against the lock down and is willing to face death for social interactions. People are dying in hospitals in isolation from families.  Grandmothers are not able to hold their grandchildren.  Death is horrible, but what about isolation.

Reuters should STOP using WHO as a source. That is a statement not a question.

4 hours ago, IAMHERE said:

Reuters should STOP using WHO as a source. That is a statement not a question.

Your statement........

Infected isn't catastrophic as the youngsters are not keeling over.  Different approach required for lockdown as total lockdown isn't working. 

Young people are not risk-adverse? No earth-shaking news here.

On 8/6/2020 at 11:43 AM, stevenl said:

And the infection rate of others.

It is not just about youth dying or getting sick, also about them infecting others.

Given as it is they that will be paying for this for the rest of their lives, and their children's lives, do they agree?

 

U.S.-centric comments:

 

Children, age 1 ~ 11 have pretty much been sequestered since March. Not a lot of real-world (U.S.) data to rely on.

 

That said, schools are opening (in the South and Southwest) so we'll have results soon on the "grand experiment".

 

 

On 8/5/2020 at 10:20 PM, ukrules said:

Tedros should keep his big mouth shut, he's been making an ass out of himself all year.

 

So what if the young get it as a youngster, acquiring immunity to the other circulating coronaviruses at a young age (as infants) is what builds out immune systems and makes us have milder colds as we get older.

 

 

 

 

Where has it been proven by a credible organisation that anyone can achieve immunity after infection by Covid-19? As has already been proven Covid-19 mutates. Accordingly, once a vaccine is certified as a prevention tool, would be the same as the flu vaccine i.e. new version produced every year for vaccine update for mitigation purposes. 

23 hours ago, Credo said:

Herd immunity really doesn't happen without a vaccine.  It takes a vaccine to protect enough people from a disease to get it under control.  We never controlled smallpox or polio without a vaccine.   Even the most mundane diseases such as measles continue to cause problems.   

The science people seem to be optimistic, so hopefully they will come up with something.   If they don't, it's pretty much a non-starter to try to continue with lockdowns.   We are a social species and we don't do well for long when we face isolation.   I think to see what will happen, we will need to look back at previous pandemics that have hung around.   

My guess is that it will eventually become a seasonal type of virus, but that's just a guess.   

Economically, it's an expensive illness.  The recovery time, even for mild cases is rather long and the contagious period is long.   It's difficult to visualize what type of world we will live in, but I suspect it will be very different for a long time.   
 

Herd immunity happens either by everyone getting infected or a vaccine. Problem with smallpox or polio was that they were so severe that most that got it badly enough died ( my father had it and didn't die ). That doesn't apply with Corona. Most will survive with no long term problems.

When I was young we were deliberately infected with measles to gain herd immunity. No vaccine was available.

 

hopefully they will come up with something.   If they don't, it's pretty much a non-starter to try to continue with lockdowns. 

Agreed.

 

Economically, it's an expensive illness. 

Lockdowns are more expensive and also cause death.

 

It's difficult to visualize what type of world we will live in, but I suspect it will be very different for a long time. 

Happened many, many times before- the black plague, the industrial revolution, WW1, the depression, WW2, the Cold War.

We are not unique, though many apparently think we are.

 

I live by the saying I learned in the military "life is <deleted> and then we die". No one gets out alive and we are not born with a guarantee of health, wealth and happiness.

 

 

 

 

6 minutes ago, simple1 said:

Where has it been proven by a credible organisation that anyone can achieve immunity after infection by Covid-19? As has already been proven Covid-19 mutates. Accordingly, once a vaccine is certified as a prevention tool, would be the same as the flu vaccine i.e. new version produced every year for vaccine update for mitigation purposes. 

The fortunate ones will live in the rich west then. The other billions that don't will, I assume, be allowed to gain herd immunity the hard way.

This disease isn't just of the rich west, though it's only become so overwhelming because it is in the rich west, If it were just in Africa ( like Ebola ) I doubt there would be so much money being spent on a vaccine.

Nightingale hospitals are being dismantled without ever being used in UK yet the scaremongering continues? IMO this was never more than flu & the world is being played.

16 hours ago, SunsetT said:

Reminds me of my misspent youth when I disliked discos because with the music so loud u couldnt have a conversation without shouting in each others faces!

Discos were never about conversation.

They were about finding a woman/man for sex.

On 8/5/2020 at 8:33 PM, Tug said:

Uhhh maybe because they will spread it to more vulnerable people and generally make it harder to control .kids don’t think to much about consequences 

Me neither, I cowered at home for a month and when nobody seemed to be dying, thought 'f$#@ it' and carried on living my life as I did before. Mask stuck in my back pocket for those shops that insist.

 

Good on the kids, go out and have fun while you're young.

Edited August 7, 20205 yr by BritManToo

34 minutes ago, thaibeachlovers said:

The fortunate ones will live in the rich west then. The other billions that don't will, I assume, be allowed to gain herd immunity the hard way.

This disease isn't just of the rich west, though it's only become so overwhelming because it is in the rich west, If it were just in Africa ( like Ebola ) I doubt there would be so much money being spent on a vaccine.

 

Shame you don't keep your promise not to respond to my posts. However, 'herd immunity' is an unproven strategy with a virus which mutates and a concept which is no longer supported.

 

Ebola vaccine research has had a response from Western countries even though the level of deaths were relatively low compared to other virus'. As of 2015 was a $1.3billion investment, plus of course good response for medical services on site. But you're correct could be improved.

 

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5112007/ 

 

You may be interested in trump's responses to Ebola, wasn't good...

 

https://www.vox.com/2020/2/26/21154253/trump-ebola-tweets-coronavirus

 

 

Edited August 7, 20205 yr by simple1