MANILA: The World Health Organisation has warned that the coronavirus is being spread by younger people in their mid-20s to 40s, while many are unaware that they are carriers of the virus.
WHO said that this month, the proportion of younger people among those infected has risen globally, putting at risk vulnerable sectors of the population worldwide, including the elderly and sick residing in densely populated areas with weak health services.
“The epidemic is changing,” WHO Western Pacific regional director, Takeshi Kasai, said. “People in their 20s, 30s, and 40s are increasingly driving the spread. Many are unaware they are infected,” the organization said.
“This increases the risk of spillovers to the more vulnerable,” he added. A surge in new cases has prompted some countries to re-impose curbs as companies race to find a vaccine for a virus that has battered economies, killed more than 770,000 people and infected nearly 22 million, according to a Reuters tally.
Surges were reported in countries that had appeared to have the virus under control, including Vietnam, which until recently went three months without domestic transmission due to its aggressive mitigation efforts.
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