COVID-19: 40% of new serious cases are under the age of 60 – here’s why

There is a very worrying increase in serious cases of COVID-19 among young people, according to a report released on Sunday by the Coronavirus Knowledge and Information Center. “There is a clear decrease in serious illness among people aged 60 and over,” the report said. “There is an increase in the number of critically ill patients among the younger groups, which last week constituted about 40% of new serious cases.” According to data from the Ministry of Health, almost 75% of people diagnosed at the weekend were under 40 years old, while only about 7% over 60. On Sunday morning, 1,008 people were considered to be in serious condition, a slight increase in compared to the previous day, when 973 people were in serious condition. Of the serious cases, 38% were under 60 years old. Last week, only about 34% of the cases were of younger people. At the peak of the third wave, around January 20, it was only 26%. This constitutes a 53% increase in the number of serious cases under the age of 60 in the past month. The cause, according to Prof. Cyrille Cohen, head of the immunotherapy laboratory at Bar-Ilan University, is twofold. On the other hand, the more the elderly population is protected by the vaccine, it is inherent that the younger and less protected population will contract the virus and, therefore, be the relatively dominant population in hospitals.

“The more cases, the more likely a percentage of these people will end up in the hospital – children, pregnant women and people under 40 in general,” said Cohen. On the other hand, he said, it is beginning to be understood that the British variant is not only more contagious, but probably also more lethal. The British variant, according to the Knowledge Center report, has become the dominant strain in the country. “The strain is known to be much more contagious compared to previous strains,” said the report, “and according to new studies in the UK, it is also more lethal between 30% and 70% compared to the virus strain original. ”Prof. Galia Rahav, head of the Infectious Diseases Unit and Laboratories at Sheba Medical Center, told The Jerusalem Post that the genetic sequencing of pregnant women in serious condition showed that most were infected with the British mutation. In Sheba, on Sunday morning, there were 55 seriously ill patients. Among them, 13 in the coronavirus intensive care unit administered by Dr. Yael Haviv Hadid. She told the Post that of these patients, five of them are being treated on ECMO machines – all of them under 54 years old. In addition, there were five intubated people – all under 55 years old. “We see young patients much more seriously than we have ever seen young people in the past,” said Haviv Hadid. She stressed that the “optimism of politicians” is out of place and that, although the total number of critically ill patients is decreasing, the struggle for the life of a 45-year-old is more “more extreme” and “more difficult” than when the person is older. “We fight hard for everyone,” she said. “But a 45 year old person in ECMO – this is a very difficult situation.” It should be noted that so far the data show that the mortality rate for people under 19 remains low. According to data presented on Sunday morning by the Ministry of Health, only eight people under the age of 20 have died so far. Twenty-two people died between the ages of 20 and 29 and 104 between the ages of 30 and 49. There have been 570,680 patients under the age of 50 to date, which means that only 0.02% of young people who have been infected have died. Rahav explained that while these people may not die, an increasing percentage are experiencing what are known as post-coronavirus symptoms, which can range from fatigue and shortness of breath to fast or fast heartbeats or problems with memory, concentration or sleep. Some people experience chest and head pain. A report by the Mayo Clinic showed that imaging tests done months after the recovery of COVID-19 showed permanent damage to the heart muscle and lungs. “Even in young people, COVID-19 can cause strokes, seizures and Guillain-Barré syndrome – a condition that causes temporary paralysis,” explained the Mayor Clinic on its website. “COVID-19 can also increase your risk of developing Parkinson’s disease and Alzheimer’s disease.” “Don’t think that, when it’s over, the corona is over for these young people,” emphasized Rahav. “They had corona and got better, but now they have all kinds of other problems.” Rahav said the hope is that soon children between 12 and 16 years old can be vaccinated, which will help to protect them and ensure the country gets collective immunity. The University of Xford announced over the weekend that it is launching a new study in which 300 volunteer children aged six to 17 will participate to assess whether their vaccine works on children. For now, Haviv Hadid said that everyone aged 16 and older should take advantage of Pfizer’s vaccination campaign in Israel and receive the vaccine. “If young people were and were vaccinated, that would be wonderful,” she said. “Otherwise, those who are not going to be vaccinated should at least wear masks and social distance.” People need to take responsibility for themselves, “she continued. She said she sees many young people in all sectors not getting vaccinated and not being careful, adding that if the government decides to open up too quickly, Israel will quickly return to the starting point. “I don’t understand why people don’t care,” he added. “Why is an entire country frozen because people don’t think they are part of the national mission? These are the haredim, the Arabs, the people on the beach in Tel Aviv. In the end, everyone will get sick. “” We are fighting today for the lives of young patients aged 44, 46, 47 and 50 who deteriorated over the weekend, “said Prof. Ze’ev Feldman, director of the Department of Pediatric Neurosurgery in Sheba and president of the World Fellowship of the Israeli Medical Association. “The pressure to open everything will lead to a fourth closure,” he said. “The health system and the medical team continue to be pushed to the limit. You must stop and listen to the Ministry of Health and act responsibly. ”