Coronavirus pandemic: Millennials need to take social distancing seriously, doctors say

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says younger people have a substantial risk for serious medical problems from the coronavirus.

New data shows of the 508 patients hospitalized in the U.S. for COVID-19, about 20% were ages 20 to 44 and another 18% were between the ages of 45 and 54.

Doctors told Action News Jax many young people are under the false assumption the virus only impacts the elderly but they, too, can suffer serious complications.

Restaurants, bars, gyms and movie theaters across the city have closed to stop the spread of COVID-19.

Tierney Suggs, 27, lives in Jacksonville and works in the retail industry.

Starting next week, she will be working from home.

“The uneasy feeling started when I started seeing and hearing stories of people contracting the virus who did not reflect any symptoms,” Suggs said.

From the beginning, doctors have said most young people will have only mild symptoms if they get COVID-19 and others won’t even know they have it.

“It brings up a lot more anxiety in a way, but I think we just have to remember as important as our physical health is, our mental health is equally important,” Suggs said.

Dr. Mobeen Rathore, who is a pediatric infectious disease specialist, said he is now concerned about young people.

“The way it is going, it is probably going to infect a lot of people, and that includes millennials,” said Rathore.

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Rathore said young people need to take social distancing seriously even though they don’t fall in the highest-risk groups.

“With them being more active out there, they are at an increased risk of getting the infection,” Rathore said.

New CDC data shows that nearly 40% of patients sick enough to be hospitalized were ages 20 to 54.

“Oftentimes on my break, I will walk the Riverwalk or I will go on Main Street near the Acosta Bridge, and there is also the option to do home workouts,” Suggs said.

But younger Americans are contracting the virus at the same rates as those who are older.

“The millennials are feeling that they are invincible, if you will, that is not the case,” Rathore said.

“I think we just have to remember that we do have to look out for each other,” Suggs said.

Rathore said the risk of dying is significantly higher in older people.

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