Millennials Aren ’t Taking Coronavirus Seriously, a Top WHO Official Warns

One of the World Health Organization’s top officials in charge of fighting the coronavirus pandemic has a stark warning for millennials and other young people about the threat of COVID-19 amid reports that some are shrugging off pleas from health officials to stay home. “This is one of the most serious diseases you will face in your lifetime, and recognize that and respect it,” Dr. Bruce Aylward, senior adviser to the Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO), told TIME via telephone on Thursday from his office in Geneva. While the risks of severe complications or death are much higher for older people and those with underlying health conditions, Aylward says COVID-19 is more dangerous for young people than many realize. “One of the things that terrifies me now is, as this is spread in the west is, there’s this sense of invulnerability among millennials,” he says. (The age range of the millennial generation varies, with some sources defining it as 1981 to 1996, though the U.S. Census has said it includes those born between 1982 and 2000.) “We don’t understand why some young healthy people progress to severe disease and even die, and others don’t,” he says. “Never, never underestimate a new disease, there’s just too much unknown.” Aylward’s warning comes on the heels of the release of a preliminary analysis on Wednesday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) that...
Source: TIME: Health - Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Tags: Uncategorized COVID-19 overnight Source Type: news