WHO says young people also at risk from COVID-19
The World Health Organization (WHO) is warning young people all over the world that they are also at risk from COVID-19. The WHO said young people are not exempt from catching the coronavirus. Many young people mistakenly believe they will not catch the virus because of their age. They think it is a disease that only older people catch. The WHO said the truth is that young people are catching the coronavirus and becoming ill or dying from it. It added that young people are also spreading the disease to their parents, grandparents and other people. The White House also urged young adults to follow advice and to avoid gathering in large groups to help prevent the spread of the virus.
The Director-General of the WHO said: "Today, I have a message for young people: You are not invincible." He added: "This coronavirus could put you in hospital for weeks, or even kill you. Even if you don't get sick, the choices you make about where you go could be the difference between life and death for someone else." The WHO said: "A significant proportion of patients treated in hospital for COVID-19 around the world are aged under 50." New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said many young people are not following the state's social-distancing rules. He told young people that: "This is a public health issue and you cannot be endangering other peoples' health."