WHO sends message to young people about coronavirus: "You are not invincible"
“Although older people are the most affected, younger people are not spared. Data from many countries clearly show that people under 50 represent a significant proportion of patients requiring hospitalization,” said Tedros Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General.
GENEVA (Reuters) - The coronavirus can sicken or kill young people, who should also avoid transmitting it to older and more vulnerable people, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Friday.
With more than 210 cases and 9 deaths from the virus worldwide, each day marks a "new and tragic milestone," said WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
“Although older people are the most affected, younger people are not spared. Data from many countries clearly show that people under 50 represent a significant proportion of patients requiring hospitalization,” Tedros said in an online press conference.
“Today I have a message for young people: you are not invincible, this virus can put you in the hospital for weeks or even kill you. Even if you don’t get sick, the choices you make about where you go can be the difference between life and death for someone else.”
The agency reported that the Chinese city of Wuhan, the epicenter of the pandemic, recorded no new cases on Thursday for the first time, "giving hope to the rest of the world that even the most serious situation can be overcome," Tedros stated.
Amid shortages of protective equipment for healthcare professionals and diagnostic tests, Chinese manufacturers have agreed to supply these products to the WHO, he said. Agreements are being finalized and shipments coordinated to replenish a warehouse in Dubai responsible for sending supplies to where they are most needed, he added.
"Air bridges" will be needed to expedite the transport of supplies to countries, as many regular flights have been canceled, according to Mike Ryan, the WHO's top emergencies expert.
The WHO has distributed 1,5 million laboratory tests worldwide, but demand could be up to 80 times greater to combat the pandemic, he said.
Ryan, asked about Iran - which is celebrating the Persian New Year while battling the coronavirus that has killed more than 1.400 people and infected nearly 20 in the country - said that these celebrations need to be modified.
Mass gatherings “not only amplify the disease, but can spread the disease far from the center,” he stated. “So they can be very, very, very, very dangerous in terms of epidemic management.”
The WHO has switched to recommending "physical distancing" instead of social distancing to help prevent the spread of the virus, officials said.
“We are shifting to saying ‘physical distancing’ and that’s on purpose, because we want people to stay connected,” said Maria Kerkhove, an epidemiologist at the WHO.
"Therefore, find ways to do this, through the internet and through different social media, to stay connected, because your mental health going through this (pandemic) is just as important as your physical health," she said.