The World Health Organization says surges in coronavirus infections in a number of countries were being driven by young people "letting down their guard" during the summer.
WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on Thursday reiterated the warning that "young people are not invincible."
The pandemic has mainly impacted the elderly and those with pre-existing conditions, but Dr. Tedros said younger people must take the same precautions, stressing they can be infected, transmit the disease to others and die.
The agency's technical lead for COVID-19, Maria Van Kerkhove, noted that nightclubs had become "amplifiers" of transmission, and she urged young adults to avoid behaviors that could easily increase the spread of infections.
Earlier, the WHO's regional director for Europe Dr. Hans Kluge said more and more young Europeans between the ages of 20 and 39 were testing positive for COVID-19.
<Photo: Yonhap News>
