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The Covid-19 pandemic is now being driven by people in their 20s, 30s and 40s, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has said.
Speaking at a virtual briefing, WHO’s Western Pacific regional director, Takeshi Kasai, said: “The epidemic is changing. People in their 20s, 30s and 40s are increasingly driving the spread. Many are unaware they are infected.”
As more cases rise among people in their 20s to 40s, “this increases the risk of spillovers to the more vulnerable,” said Kasai. This includes elderly relatives and those with underlying health conditions.
The number of Covid-19 cases reported in Europe has gradually increased in recent weeks.
While there was no substantial change in the number of cases reported this week compared to last week, a number of countries are showing a resurgence in cases including the UK, France, Germany, Netherlands and Spain.
Several Covid-19 clusters, which have contributed to the resurgence of cases, have been reported in meat processing and packaging facilities in a number of countries including Belgium, Denmark and Germany.
WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said there are two essential elements to addressing the pandemic effectively: “Leaders must step up to take action and citizens need to embrace new measures.
“My message is crystal clear: suppress, suppress, suppress the virus.”
Globally, America remains the most affected region in the past seven days, accounting for 53% of all newly confirmed cases and 75% of reported deaths, according to WHO data.
The south east Asia region continues to report an increase in cases and is currently the second most affected region. Stay at home measures and travel restrictions are being re-implemented there as part of efforts to limit the transmission of the virus.
At the start of August, WHO urged young people aged 15-24 to curb their partying to help prevent new outbreaks of the virus, after statistics showed cases among this age group had grown three-fold in five months.