Just Earth News | @justearthnews | 20 Mar 2020, 11:19 pm Print
Moscow/Sputnik: World Health Organization (WHO) Chief Tedros Adhanom Gebreyesus on Friday urged younger people not to take the coronavirus pandemic lightly, saying that data shows patients under 50 frequently require hospitalization.
"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 patients requiring hospitalization," Tedros said at a virtual press conference.
He directed a stark message to younger people: "you are not invincible, this virus could put you in the hospital for weeks or even kill you."
Earlier in the month, Gebreyesus declared the COVID-19 outbreak a pandemic and called on all countries to take drastic precautionary measures.
As of Friday, the coronavirus has infected over 265,000 people worldwide and killed more than 11,100 while over 87,000 have been cured.
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