'It can knock them on their butt:’ Millennials aren’t immune to coronavirus, governor says

Health officials monitoring data from Europe

ORLANDO, Fla. – While some may have thought that coronavirus only severely affected the elderly and those with underlying conditions, new data suggests that’s not the case.

On Wednesday, Dr. Deborah Birx, a member of the president’s coronavirus task force, said that health officials are receiving new data out of France and Italy indicating that millennials are being more impacted than previously thought.

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“We continue to look at data every single day. There are concerning reports coming out of France and Italy about young people getting seriously ill in the ICUs. We think part of this may be people heeded the early data coming out of China and coming out of South Korea that the elderly and those with pre-existing medical conditions are of particular risk. It may have been the millennial generation, the largest generation, our future generation that will carry us through for the next multiple decades -- there may be disproportionate numbers among that group. And so even if its a rare occurrence, it may be seen more frequently in that group,” Birx said.

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According to newly released information from the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention, severe illness and hospitalization can be seen among any adult who is diagnosed with COVID-19. Those 19 and younger, however, tend to have milder symptoms and almost no hospitalizations or deaths.

“In addition, clinicians who care for adults should be aware that COVID-19 can result in severe disease among persons of all ages,” officials from the CDC wrote in a recent report.

Gov. Ron DeSantis spoke Thursday to reiterate the new findings, particularly as spring breakers continue to crowd beaches across Florida.

“Some of the younger folks, it can knock them on their butt,” DeSantis said.

He said even younger people who are in otherwise good health can end up in the hospital due to the respiratory illness.

As of Thursday morning, 390 Florida-related coronavirus cases have been identified. Birx said that nationwide, the numbers will likely go up during the next few days as labs work to process a backlog of tests.

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