The World Health Organization expressed concerns Tuesday that the coronavirus pandemic has become fueled by younger people unaware of their infection and subsequent danger they pose to at-risk groups.
Reuters reported younger people infecting vulnerable groups such as the elderly and the sick worldwide and taking place in densely populated areas with weak health services.
“The epidemic is changing,” Takeshi Kasai, WHO’S Western Pacific regional director, told a virtual briefing, Reuters reported. “People in their 20s and 30s and 40s are increasingly driving the spread. Many are unaware they are infected. This increases the risk of spillovers to the more vulnerable.”
The new surge in cases has pushed some countries to reimpose measures to curb the pandemic as companies seek to find a vaccine, Reuters reported.
As of Tuesday, roughly 22 million cases of coronavirus have been reported worldwide, including 775,000 deaths, according to a Johns Hopkins University tracker.