Not an old person’s virus: Russia warns teens & adults they TOO may need ventilators if ill with Covid-19, citing patient data

Moscow authorities have sounded the alarm over the ratio of serious Covid-19 cases among younger people, having found that 40 percent of the patients undergoing artificial lung ventilation are under the age of 40.

At least 1,014 people have been diagnosed with Covid-19 in the Russian capital as of Sunday, and only 15 percent of those are over 65, the authorities said.

Over 33 percent of those infected with the novel coronavirus fell between the ages of 18 and 34, while 46 percent were between 35 and 64, the official data said.

But what’s worse, the serious cases requiring artificial lung ventilation units, commonly known as ventilators, did not favor the younger patients, according to the statement.

It did not disclose how many of those infected were considered serious and how many required ventilators, but provided what appear to be alarming stats.

Almost 40 percent of those on artificial lung ventilation are younger than 40. The percentage of such patients aged under 60 makes up as many as 64 percent, i.e. two thirds of the total number of patients on ventilation.

The Moscow medics strongly cautioned that “it’s not only elderly Muscovites who suffer from the severe form of the disease.”

Their warning comes in contrast to the general belief that the coronavirus is deadliest for the elderly. The experience of China, where the virus originated, and such heavily hit nations as Italy and the US appear to show that around 80 percent of the Covid-19 fatalities occur among the people in their 60s and older.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the US said earlier in March that that the older age group accounted for 31 percent of all coronavirus cases in the US, for 45 percent of hospitalizations, 53 percent of ICU admissions and 80 percent of all deaths.

It’s unclear as yet if the situation in Moscow really contradicts the global trends, as the total number of people in need of ventilators remains undisclosed. All of the eight coronavirus patients who have died in Russia so far were older than 40.

The discrepancy could boil down to different statistical systems being used, or to the relatively low number of seriously ill patients at this stage.

The worrisome figures from the Russian capital could also be an attempt by the medics to persuade younger people to follow the quarantine measures more thoroughly, as they issued reminders that “all Muscovites should remain home, no matter what their age.”

The next week has been declared a paid holiday in Russia in order to stem the spread of Covid-19. But, in Moscow, the abnormally warm and sunny weather tempted many to neglect the government’s advice to remain indoors.

However, the city authorities on Sunday ramped up the restrictions, with the mayor’s order effectively instructing residents to self-isolate and not go outside unless it is absolutely necessary.

The order, which comes into effect on Monday, added that special permits will soon be introduced for those who need to continue traveling to work.

The number of people infected with the virus in Russia reached 1,534 on Sunday. The capital, which is the country’s largest city and main transport hub, accounts for two thirds of these cases.

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