[pavon]

It is trying to counter misconceptions that COVID-19 is harmless to young healthy people based on misinterpretations of guidance that elderly and those with preexisting conditions are most at risk. Just because younger people are at less risk doesn't mean they have no risk. While the numbers have been hard to pin down, early data from China showed that more than 10% of people in their 20s-40s with the disease had critical cases. Some other studies outside China have put that number at 15-20%. The number of severe cases is much less, but not 0.

With proper treatment nearly all of those critical cases will survive. But if the health care system becomes overwhelmed that may no longer be true.

It is trying to sink in the idea that young people are not invincible to COVID-19 and that they need to practice social distancing, if not for the benefit of society as a whole, then for their own self benefit.

[JoeAltmaier]

I think I read that statistic differently - that of the critical cases, 10-14% were between 20 to 40.

Not a per-capita number. Not a percentage of young people - a percentage of sick people. Folks in that wide age bracket are around 30% of the US total population. The old - 15%?

[pavon]

Statistics have been reported for both directions.

Early US data[1] showed:

* 20% of (COVID-19 patients hospitalized) were age 20-44 years.

* 12% of (COVID-19 patients in ICU) were age 20-44

The same report also tallied result by age group, stating that:

* 14-20% of (COVID-19 patients age 20-44) were hospitalized

* 2-4% of (COVID-19 patients age 20-44) were in ICU

Ranges due to not all data sources reporting hospitalization/ICU status.

[1] https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/69/wr/mm6912e2.htm

[d1str0]

That is a big and important distinction.