WHO: 95 percent of European coronavirus deaths were people 60 or older, young still at risk

The World Health Organization (WHO) said Thursday that more than 95 percent of coronavirus deaths in Europe were of individuals age 60 or older, but warned young people are still at risk.

“The very notion that COVID-19 only affects older people is factually wrong,” Dr. Hans Kluge, head of the WHO’s Europe office, said during an online news conference in Copenhagen, The Associated Press reported. “Young people are not invincible.”

“Severe cases of the disease have been seen in people in their teens or 20s, with many requiring intensive care and some unfortunately passing away,” he added.

The WHO said 10 to 15 percent of coronavirus cases in people under 50 are moderate or severe.

Italy and Spain both have more than 110,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19, the disease caused by the virus, while Germany has over 80,000, according to Johns Hopkins University data. The U.S. has the most cases in the world, with more than 216,000.