Do young healthy adults need to worry about COVID-19?

It's important for young adults to realize their role in the COVID-19 pandemic. Even healthy people in their 20s and 30s can catch the coronavirus, spread it to others, and suffer from severe illness resulting in lasting health problems or even death.

Are healthy young and middle-aged adults at risk of dying from COVID-19?

COVID-19 also has led to serious illness and even death in younger and middle-aged adults who are otherwise healthy. While most children have mild or no symptoms, some have gotten severely ill. As with adults, even if children have no symptoms, they can spread the virus to others.

Are kids any more or less likely than adults to spread coronavirus?

Early studies suggested that children do not contribute much to the spread of coronavirus. But more recent studies raise concerns that children could be capable of spreading the infection.

Should I be worried about getting the COVID-19 Omicron variant?

While some have suggested that most people will eventually get the coronavirus, you should do your best to avoid infection with Omicron—there is no justification for deliberately getting infected so you have what you think will be a mild illness that will provide you with more immunity going forward, the doctors say.

Who is most at risk for the coronavirus disease?

Older adults are at highest risk of getting very sick from COVID-19. More than 81% of COVID-19 deaths occur in people over age 65. The number of deaths among people over age 65 is 97 times higher than the number of deaths among people ages 18-29 years.

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Which groups of people are at increased risks of severe illness from COVID-19?

Among adults, the risk for severe illness from COVID-19 increases with age, with older adults at highest risk. Severe illness means that the person with COVID-19 may require hospitalization, intensive care, or a ventilator to help them breathe, or they may even die. People of any age with certain underlying medical conditions are also at increased risk for severe illness from SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Why are some people more at risk for COVID-19?

So, why is it that some people are so badly affected by COVID when many are barely scratched by it? Age and other health conditions increase the risk of getting really sick, but a new study suggests that those who escape the worst symptoms might also have the right balance of a type of immune cells called macrophages.

Does the Omicron COVID-19 variant cause more severe disease?

Omicron infection generally causes less severe disease than infection with prior variants. Preliminary data suggest that Omicron may cause more mild disease, although some people may still have severe disease, need hospitalization, and could die from the infection with this variant.

Is the COVID-19 Omicron variant more transmissible than previous variants?

The good news was that the new variant caused less severe illness and death than Delta. But it was also highly transmissible—more contagious than any variant that came before it.

Does the COVID-19 Omicron variant spreads more easily?

New variants of the virus are expected to occur. Slowing the spread of the virus, by protecting yourself and others, can help slow the emergence of new variants. The Omicron variant causes more infections and spreads faster than the original SARS-CoV-2 strain of the virus that causes COVID-19.

Can children spread COVID-19 to others if they don't have symptoms?

Similar to adults with SARS-CoV-2 infections, children and adolescents can spread SARS-CoV-2 to others when they do not have symptoms or have mild, non-specific symptoms and thus might not know that they are infected and infectious. Children are less likely to develop severe illness or die from COVID-19.

How likely is it that children infected with COVID-19 are asymptomatic?

Our review of the latest available data indicates that, while children who are infected with COVID-19 are more likely to be asymptomatic and less likely to experience severe disease (though a small subset become quite sick), they are capable of transmitting to both children and adults.

When are people infected with COVID-19 most likely to be contagious?

Researchers estimate that people who get infected with the coronavirus can spread it to others 2 to 3 days before symptoms start and are most contagious 1 to 2 days before they feel sick.

When is the greatest risk of respiratory complications from COVID-19 for older patients?

While every patient is different, doctors say that days five through 10 of the illness are often the most worrisome time for respiratory complications of Covid-19, particularly for older patients and those with underlying conditions like high blood pressure, obesity or diabetes.

Does age increase the risk for serious illness from COVID-19?

Your chances of getting seriously sick with COVID-19 go up with your age. Someone who's in their 50s is at higher risk than someone in their 40s, and so on. The highest risk is in people 85 and older.

Does the COVID-19 vaccine reduce the risk of getting "Long COVID"?

Reseach is showing that people who are vaccinated, even with just one dose, tend to have lower rates of long COVID-19 after catching the virus than those who are unvaccinated.

Is the Delta variant more contagious than the original strain of COVID-19?

People infected with the Delta variant have roughly 1,000 times more copies of the virus in their respiratory tract than those infected with the original strain of COVID-19. Those who are fully vaccinated are much less likely than those who are unvaccinated to contract and spread the Delta variant, but it does happen.

Where was the Omicron COVID-19 variant first detected?

On November 24, 2021, South Africa reported the identification of a new COVID-19 variant, B.1.1.529, to the World Health Organization (WHO).

B.1.1. 529 was first detected in specimens collected on November 11, 2021 in Botswana and on November 14, 2021 in South Africa.

Is there a difference in spread between the Omicron and Delta COVID-19 variant?

The Omicron variant spreads more easily than earlier variants of the virus that cause COVID-19, including the Delta variant. CDC expects that anyone with Omicron infection, regardless of vaccination status or whether or not they have symptoms, can spread the virus to others.

What are some of the symptoms of the COVID-19 Omicron strain?

Both coronavirus variants had common symptoms such as runny nose, headache and sneezing, but debilitating symptoms such as brain fog, dizziness and fever were less prevalent in Omicron cases.

How does the Omicron variant affect mortality during the COVID-19 pandemic?

Overall mortality risk in the 28 days after a positive test was 0.27% after Delta, falling to 0.11% after Omicron. The difference in risk varied considerably with age, being 75% lower for Omicron compared with Delta for those aged 60-69 years.

Do mRNA Pfizer and BionTech vaccines largely prevent severe disease from the COVID-19 Omicron variants?

Pfizer Inc. and BioNTechs Covid-19 vaccine appears to largely prevent severe disease from the coronavirus omicron variants sublineages BA. 4 and BA.

Can COVID-19 symptoms vary in different people?

People with COVID-19 have had a wide range of symptoms reported – ranging from mild symptoms to severe illness. Symptoms may appear 2-14 days after exposure to the virus.

Are obese people more at risk of COVID-19?

• Having obesity increases the risk of severe illness from COVID-19. People who are overweight
may also be at increased risk.
• Having obesity may triple the risk of hospitalization due to a COVID-19 infection.
• Obesity is linked to impaired immune function.

What are some of the things you can do to lower your chances of getting or spreading COVID-19?

• Wash your hands well and often. Use hand sanitizer when you’re not near soap and water.
• Try not to touch your face.
• Wear a face mask when you go out.
• Follow your community guidelines for staying home.
• When you do go out in public, leave at least 6 feet of space between you and others.