Pandemic now led by 20, 30, 40 year old group, many of whom are asymptomatic: WHO

MANILA (Reuters) – The World Health Organization said on Tuesday it was concerned that the spread of the novel coronavirus was due to people in their 20s, 30s and 40s, many of whom were unaware they were were infected, posing a danger to vulnerable groups.

WHO officials said this month that the proportion of young people among those infected has increased globally, putting vulnerable sectors of the world’s population at risk, including the elderly and sick people in areas densely populated where health services are weak.

“The epidemic is changing,” WHO Regional Director for the Western Pacific Takeshi Kasai said in a virtual briefing. “People in their 20s, 30s and 40s are increasingly at the root of the spread. Many do not know they are infected. ”

“This increases the risk of spillover to the most vulnerable,” he added.

An increase in the number of new cases has prompted some countries to reimpose restrictions as companies rush to find a vaccine for a virus that has struck economies, killed more than 770,000 people and infected nearly 22 million, according to a tally of Reuters.

Surges have been reported in countries that appeared to have the virus under control, including Vietnam, which until recently had gone three months without national transmission due to its aggressive mitigation efforts.

“What we are seeing is not just a resurgence. We think this is a signal that we have entered a new phase of the pandemic in Asia Pacific, ”Kasai said.

He said countries were better able to reduce disruption to lives and economies by combining early detection and response to manage infections.

Although mutations have been observed, the WHO still considers the virus to be “relatively stable,” Kasai said.

WHO has also reminded drug makers to follow all necessary research and development steps when creating a vaccine.

Socorro Escalante, its chief technical officer and drug policy adviser, said the WHO was coordinating with Russia, which this month became the first country to grant regulatory approval for a COVID-19 vaccine.

“We hope to get the answer in terms of evidence for this new vaccine,” Escalante said.