OVER the last few days, it has become increasingly clear that more and more young people are succumbing to covid19.
This situation points to the fact that everyone has a stake in battling this virus. However, the numbers with regard to youths also have a direct bearing on the ability of the healthcare system to weather this storm in the short run.
The numbers further suggest long-term consequences we are yet to grapple with. The youth of today, already paying such a heavy price for this pandemic, may well end up reaping the whirlwind of covid19 in the years, decades to come.
Local and international experts have repeatedly warned this week that this disease, which was once thought to endanger mainly the elderly, is affecting young people more and more.
Epidemiologist Dr Avery Hinds said on Monday that more people (under 60) are dying.
On Wednesday, principal medical officer Dr Maryam Abdool-Richards suggested not only is there an increased number of young people dying, but the nature of these deaths is alarming.
'We are seeing deaths, and sudden deaths, from the 30s onward,' she said. 'Please don't think you are immune.'
The tragic case of a father and son dying hours apart in Siparia this week illustrated what the experts have been saying: when it comes to age, covid19 is an equal-opportunity killer.
Also on Wednesday, Pan-American Health Organisation (PAHO) director Dr Carissa F Etienne highlighted the increase in hospitalisations and deaths of younger people regionally.
She said Brazil's mortality rates doubled among those younger than 39, quadrupled among those in their 40s, and tripled for those in their 50s between December 2020 and March.
Additionally, she pointed out that the increased prevalence of young people being infected has repercussions for the public health infrastructure in place in each country.
Since healthy young people are more likely to survive longer, they may remain in hospitals for weeks, she said. As a result, countries must be prepared for surging pressure on resources. At this rate, intensive care unit (ICU) capacity will be overwhelmed in three months.
'In some areas of the US, more people in their 20s are now being hospitalised for covid19 than people in their 70s,' Dr Etienne said.
But if the short-term implications are already distressing, the long-term implications are equally worrisome.
Research has begun to show that even mild cases of covid19 can have an impact on the body's organs. These changes may contribute to health issues, if not death, down the road.
Generations will be dealing with the fallout from this pandemic in the years ahead.
But while covid19 affects everyone, in the end it is the youth of today who have the most to lose.
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