Coronavirus: why deaths and hospitalizations of young people have increased in the region

As the covid-19 pandemic accelerates in the Americas, the number of hospitalizations and deaths of young people increases, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO).

“Adults of all ages – including young people – get seriously ill and many of them die,” he said. Carissa F. Etienne, Director of PAHO.

According to the organization, between December 2020 and March 2021, Death rates among under-39s in Brazil have doubled, quadrupled for those aged 40 to 50 and tripled for those aged 50 to 60.

In Chile, for example, the indices of hospitalization of those under 39 have increased by more than 70% in recent months.

Whereas, “in certain areas of In the United States, there are more people between the ages of 20 and 30 hospitalized for covid-19 than people in their 70s ”, added the doctor.

“During much of the pandemic, our hospitals were full of older adults with covid-19, many of whom had pre-existing conditions that made them more vulnerable to severe forms of the disease, but today observing the units intensive care centers in our region, we see that they are full not only of elderly patients, but also of younger people, ”said Etienne.

Argentina is no exception. “At the moment, young people under the age of 60 enter the ICUs, with a Average of 52 years, although also there are younger ones, even around 40 years old ”, he explains to BBC Mundo by telephone Rosa Reina, President of the Argentine Society of Intensive Care (SATI).

“Some have co-morbidities, but others don’t. They stay in the intensive care unit between 15 and 20 days on average, 70% require a connection to a ventilator, and when they get to the hospital, they present a very serious picture of admission, ”says Reina, noting that the typical age last year ranged between 70 and 75.

Una de las razones que explica por qué hay más jóvenes afectados en esta última ola tiene que ver sencillamente con la aceleración de la pandemia que ha provocado un aumento en el número de casos en general y, por ende, un aumento en el número de jóvenes too.

But also, the problem is that the young population is currently the most exposed to the virus, compared to the older population. They are the most active at the heart of the workforce. Many are in the service industry and hold jobs that require in-person participation.

“Either because they have to go to work or do other activities, it is the population that circulates the most this year. And also, it is the age group that is not vaccinated ”, Reina explains the situation in Argentina, which, with a few exceptions, mirrors what is happening in the rest of the continent.

Vaccination campaigns, which are progressing late in most countries, have been aimed mainly at the elderly and vulnerable, with which the youngest age groups are those who have not been protected.

Reina also believes that older people “have probably become more aware that they need to be more careful because this is a very high risk population”, while younger people, perhaps tired after a year of restrictions. , “Are a little more relaxed. measures “.

“While there are work activities where protocols are followed, there are others that are not, especially in informal activities. Appropriate protocols are not followed there, such as using the mask inappropriately, ”explains Reina.

Another detail to note is that young people usually arrive at the hospital in serious condition, “Because they underestimate the symptoms.” “They later arrive at the hospital, and that is why when they do, they are in a very compromised condition, which requires intensive therapy.”

Once there, young people spend more time, because since they have fewer underlying diseases, unlike the elderly population, they are more likely to survive the disease.

This, the PAHO report says, directly affects the movement of beds and the consumption of essential hospital supplies.

A factor that may also have influenced the age difference from last year in the ICUs is the circulation of disturbing variants, such as Manaus, although there is still no clear data on this possibility.

The impact of the change in age of the typical patient admitted with COVID-19 is not only felt at the hospital level. “It is worrying because it is the workers and there are many of these young people who are the economic backers of the households, and this has a social impact. This is the working age group of the company, ”says the chairman of SATI.

Given the lack of access to vaccines for the young population, PAHO stresses that the only way to limit the spread of the virus is to increase restrictions and preventive measures, like maintaining social distance and avoiding meetings in closed spaces, among others.

Reina, for her part, believes that it is essential to disseminate this new data, “in order for people to realize that they have to take care of themselves, there is no other step than to maintain protocols in all workplaces, whether formal or informal, as this moment is the only thing that can be done ”.

BBC Mundo