Director general of the World Health Organisation, Tedros Adhanom, issued a direct warning to the young people of the world not taking the coronavirus pandemic seriously. During a press conference on Friday, Mr Adhanom insisted the youth were “not invincible” and if they contract the disease they could be hospitalised for weeks. He added, in the event a young person does not show symptoms when they contract the disease their actions could still severely impact those who are most vulnerable to the respiratory disease.
Mr Adhanom said: “Although older people are the hardest hit, younger people are not spared.
“Data from many countries clearly show that people under 50 make up a significant proportion of patient requiring hospitalisation.
“Today I have a message for young people: you are not invincible.
“This virus could put you in hospital for weeks or even kill you.
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“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.”
Mr Adhanom went on to praise the young people across the world for taking the pandemic seriously.
He said: “I am grateful that so many young people are spreading the word and not the virus.
“As I keep saying, solidarity is the key to defeating COVID-19.
“This is solidarity between countries but also solidarity between age groups.”
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson offered a similar message after demanding pubs, bars and restaurants close indefinitely on Friday.
While not enforcing the closure of these businesses, Mr Johnson argued doing so would help the UK in its battle against coronavirus in the country.
The Prime Minister argued young people were not “invincible” and should think about their health and the health of others during this crisis.
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During the press conference, he said: “Right now we need to keep people apart.
“I want to stress that we will review the situation each month to see if we can relax these measures.
“Some people may be tempted to go out tonight, you may think you are invincible but there is no guarantee that you will get mild symptoms.
“You can still be a carrier of the disease and pass it on to others.”
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