Young people are not immune from coronavirus and must avoid socialising and communicating it to older, more vulnerable people, the World Health Organization (WHO) has warned.

The choices made by the young can be “the difference between life and death for someone else”, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said.

Over 11,000 patients have died from the Covid-19 respiratory illness worldwide.

Nearly 250,000 patients have tested positive overall.

The WHO chief’s remarks follow reports that young people in many countries are being complacent about health warnings, because of the greater susceptibility to the virus among older patients.

The coronavirus outbreak was first recorded in China in December. But now the centre of the pandemic is Europe.

In Italy – where the virus has killed more people than in any other country – the death toll rose by 627 on Friday, reaching a total of 4,032, making it the deadliest day for one country since the outbreak began.

Source: AFP