As fresh cases of the novel coronavirus infection in India continues to touch record highs on a daily basis in recent weeks, and despite the well-known effects of COVID-19 on older people as well as those with comorbidities, new studies into it suggests that the respiratory infection can be lethal for young people as well.
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A new study, published in the scientific journal JAMA Internal Medicine suggests that "COVID-19 does not spare young people" either. The research, which looked at data from all health centres and hospitals in the United States, and included more than 3,200 adults between the ages of 18 and 34 years (non-pregnant) admitted in various hospitals with the infection.
They found that fatality even among such a young group was significant with 2.7%, meaning that 88 of the 3,222 young adults had died due to the illness. Another 21% of the group, which is about one in five individuals, required intensive care while about half that number required to be put on ventilator support. Another 99 patients from the group had to be moved to other facilities as they could not be sent home even after recovery.
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Of course, the study's findings of the younger adults who had pre-existing conditions such as obesity, hypertension or were male had higher chances of dying from complications of the viral infection, but these risk factors have been well acknowledged even prior to this study.
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Hospitalisation increases mortality risk among young adults
The study suggests that while the risk of mortality or severe complications is greater among older people, young adults are much less likely to become severely ill. However, chances of mortality among younger adults increase significantly if they are hospitalised with complications from the disease.
It was also established that pre-existing conditions or comorbidities put people of all ages at a greater risk of mortality or severe complications of COVID-19. The recommendations made by the authors of the study has been to control the instances of comorbidities such as obesity and hypertension, which are treatable conditions, by increasing efforts at the public health level.
They have also advised public health officials to promote a healthy lifestyle among people of all ages, by recommending healthy diets and making healthier lifestyle choices such as increasing physical activity or exercise.
As has been proven through various studies in the past, the study also supports the use of all public health prevention strategies such as physical distancing, use of face masks and covers, as well as good levels of personal hygiene to keep the infection from spreading even among younger adults.
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The study was conducted including data of the records of young adults from over 400 hospitals across the United States between 1 April and 30 June, 2020. Even though the number of people who had comorbidities such as obesity, hypertension and diabetes was low, the research suggests that it still puts people with those conditions at a significantly higher risk of suffering from severe complications, even death.