Swiss authorities put onus on young to prevent coronavirus spread
Swiss public health authorities have said the onus is on younger people to prevent spreading the virus to older, more vulnerable members of the population.
During a press conference on Wednesday, the Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH) highlighted that people over the age of 65 are most at risk from the virus.
Daniel Koch, head of communicable diseases at FOPH, said that younger people - many of whom only feel lightly ill from the virus - need to “change the way they view the virus”.
While younger people are much more likely to spread the virus as they are more mobile and travel more often, it is older people who are at the greatest risk.
On Thursday morning, a 74-year-old woman in Vaud became the first person to die of the virus in Switzerland.
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15 percent chance of death for those over 80
The World Health Organisation (WHO) reports that 3.4 percent of the population worldwide have died from the virus, however the probability of death increases dramatically for people as they age.
For people under 50, the rate is less than 0.5 percent. Between 60 and 69 around four percent die of the virus.
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That amount increases to 15 percent for people over 80 years of age.
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During a press conference on Wednesday, the Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH) highlighted that people over the age of 65 are most at risk from the virus.
Daniel Koch, head of communicable diseases at FOPH, said that younger people - many of whom only feel lightly ill from the virus - need to “change the way they view the virus”.
While younger people are much more likely to spread the virus as they are more mobile and travel more often, it is older people who are at the greatest risk.
On Thursday morning, a 74-year-old woman in Vaud became the first person to die of the virus in Switzerland.
READ MORE
READ: Switzerland puts army into effective quarantine over coronavirus fears
UPDATE: Number of coronavirus cases in Switzerland continues to rise
UPDATE: What you need to know about coronavirus in Switzerland
15 percent chance of death for those over 80
The World Health Organisation (WHO) reports that 3.4 percent of the population worldwide have died from the virus, however the probability of death increases dramatically for people as they age.
For people under 50, the rate is less than 0.5 percent. Between 60 and 69 around four percent die of the virus.
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That amount increases to 15 percent for people over 80 years of age.
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