As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to rage in countries across the Americas, Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) Director, Carissa F. Etienne, says more hospitalisations and deaths of younger people have been recorded.

According to Etienne, who spoke during Wednesday’s (May 5) COVID-19 media briefing, “for much of the pandemic our hospitals were filled with elderly COVID patients many of whom had preexisting conditions that made them more susceptible to severe disease”.

A trend that she says “has led to a false sense of security among the younger population, who while fearful of the virus were not concerned about severe disease”.

Despite this, “over the last few months, hospitalization rates among those under thirty-nine years increased by more than 70 per cent in Chile”.

She furthered that, “In Brazil, the highest jumps in hospitalisations have been among people in their 40s (and) in some areas of the United States, more people in their 20s are now being hospitalized for COVID-19 than people in their 70s”.

On the matter of deaths, Etienne reported that “in Brazil, mortality rates have doubled among those younger than 39, quadrupled among those in their 40s and tripled for those in their 50s between December 2020 and March 2021″.

Given this, the PAHO director said “the time is overdue to adjust our response”.

Countries must continue to practise public health measures, such as social distancing, wearing masks, and avoiding gatherings in closed spaces.

Additionally, they must “re-prioritise testing and contact tracing at the primary care level”, and be proactive in the launch of communication campaigns to remind individuals of the need to protect themselves.

In closing, Etienne said: “While vaccines are being rolled out as fast as possible, they are not a short-term solution –we can not rely on vaccines to bring down infections when there is not enough vaccines to go around. They are one part of the comprehensive response that includes prevention through public health measures and improving the readiness of health systems.”