The Student Room Group

Many young healthy people now dying from COVID 19

More and more young healthy people are now passing away due to this
terrible virus.
I really hope now younger people start to take social distancing far more seriously because where I live in (London) they almost seem nonchalant about the whole situation.

Stay well :smile:

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Reply 1
It won't be known how healthy they were until there's been an autopsy. A quick report of a death should be followed by 'with no apparent underlying health issues' because there were no symptoms. But yes, everyone should be social distancing, but so many people just can't follow basic instructions!
Reply 2
Original post by Surnia
It won't be known how healthy they were until there's been an autopsy. A quick report of a death should be followed by 'with no apparent underlying health issues' because there were no symptoms. But yes, everyone should be social distancing, but so many people just can't follow basic instructions!

This is a good point.

Whilst the death rate is horrible, especially for younger people, we can’t just assume that it was the Coronavirus. They could of had an underlying health condition that they didn’t even know about. So far, the number of younger people impacted by the virus is much smaller than people aged 40-100 who have been at a much higher risk.

Nether the less, it’s important to social distance no matter your age because anyone can get the virus. Even if you don’t die from it, you are still risking someone else’s life by infecting someone at high risk. There are still kids in my area that are not taking this seriously and my elderly neighbour is still walking to the shop, despite me offering to go for him. Stay at home and stay safe :smile:
A lot of covid-19 victims in Italy are being cremated without an autopsy. If they test positive and die the cause of death is covid-19. This is also happening here and many people who appear 'healthy' may actually have underlying health conditions. Many underlying health conditions tend to appear as you approach middle age.

Also, one additional point is that obesity seems to be a risk factor in developing serious symptoms of the infection and many of the younger people who seem to die having 'no underlying health issues' appear to be overweight or obese. Food for thought...
Reply 4
Original post by Anonymous
Also, one additional point is that obesity seems to be a risk factor in developing serious symptoms of the infection and many of the younger people who seem to die having 'no underlying health issues' appear to be overweight or obese. Food for thought...

Citation for this..?

And why anon?
Only 0.8% of current reported COVID-19 deaths have been aged between 20-39. The problem is, every positive patient who passes away, goes down as a COVID-19 death. We don't know whether they just tested positive or whether it was COVID-19 that kill them.
Original post by gonzoid
More and more young healthy people are now passing away due to this
terrible virus.
I really hope now younger people start to take social distancing far more seriously because where I live in (London) they almost seem nonchalant about the whole situation.

Stay well :smile:

There will be a curve and distribution (age to deaths %), I would assume it will be a biased one tailed distribution but as the numbers rise into the thousands the tails will get larger. Its unfortunate but as the numbers grow so do the distribution tails and hence the increasing number of cases of people in their 50s, 40s, 30s, 20s etc. will die.

Just follow the government advice & reduce the infection rate. Living in London isnt something you can really change atm just take sensible precautions, wash your hands, limit all travel to nothing but essential. The reality is densely populated urban areas are going to hit the hardest for obvious reasons. Just have to all do our best.
Original post by gonzoid
More and more young healthy people are now passing away due to this
terrible virus.
I really hope now younger people start to take social distancing far more seriously because where I live in (London) they almost seem nonchalant about the whole situation.

Stay well :smile:


Same, I also live in London and I don’t know about anywhere else but no one here seems to really be talking the quarantine seriously. Like, yesterday, due to the heat, literally EVERYONE I knew had gone out like to a park or something. There was actually a family of like 5 having a picnic like when aren’t currently in a pandemic lol.

I think London definitely needs stricter rules imposed.
Original post by Drewski
Citation for this..?

And why anon?


It's not me you quoted and I don't have a link, but I do remember reading it when I was researching what 'at risk' groups included - because I then text my partner telling him he needed to stay at home because it affected fat people more haha.

With regards to the actual point, OP: .. you need to be really careful reading the numbers. You're saying 'more and more young, healthy people' but what does that mean? I think you're probably just reading about a couple every day maybe, and they stick out in your mind because they're worrying - and they're certainly reported more if they're young and healthy.

The vast, vast majority of deaths are still in older age categories, or those with underlying health issues.

You also have to remember the number of people who will have had it, but were never included in any stats due to lack of testing.

Take my grandparents for example. They started showing symptoms about 10 days ago. My gran recovered (or is getting there at least) but my grandad got taken to hospital on Saturday, where Coronavirus was confirmed. So he's included in the stats, but my gran - who is 80 but has recovered - is not included as she was not tested. We can reasonably assume that she had the virus however, as they presented with the same symptoms at the same time.
(edited 3 years ago)
Original post by Drewski
Citation for this..?

And why anon?

Not sure if it's proven yet, but a number of medics have been saying in media that obesity is a factor. For example, New Orleans is rapidly emerging as a fatality hotspot and has high rates of diabetes and obesity.
https://uk.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-new-orleans/why-is-new-orleans-coronavirus-death-rate-twice-new-yorks-obesity-is-a-factor-idUKKBN21K1B0

In the US, there appears to be a correlation between obesity in younger people and Covid-19 death.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/apr/01/coronavirus-young-americans-covid-19

Perhaps we will hear more about this as time goes on.

Genetic factors also apparently are playing a part, at least according to medics discussing it on Radio 4 news last night.
Original post by Fullofsurprises
Not sure if it's proven yet, but a number of medics have been saying in media that obesity is a factor. For example, New Orleans is rapidly emerging as a fatality hotspot and has high rates of diabetes and obesity.
https://uk.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-new-orleans/why-is-new-orleans-coronavirus-death-rate-twice-new-yorks-obesity-is-a-factor-idUKKBN21K1B0

In the US, there appears to be a correlation between obesity in younger people and Covid-19 death.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/apr/01/coronavirus-young-americans-covid-19

Perhaps we will hear more about this as time goes on.

Genetic factors also apparently are playing a part, at least according to medics discussing it on Radio 4 news last night.

A factor, sure. But saying the majority...?

The pictures of the first few 'young deaths' (for want of a better phrase) did not show obese people.
Original post by Joel746
This is a good point.

Whilst the death rate is horrible, especially for younger people, we can’t just assume that it was the Coronavirus. They could of had an underlying health condition that they didn’t even know about. So far, the number of younger people impacted by the virus is much smaller than people aged 40-100 who have been at a much higher risk.

Nether the less, it’s important to social distance no matter your age because anyone can get the virus. Even if you don’t die from it, you are still risking someone else’s life by infecting someone at high risk. There are still kids in my area that are not taking this seriously and my elderly neighbour is still walking to the shop, despite me offering to go for him. Stay at home and stay safe :smile:

99.1% of the deaths in the UK are of people over the age of 40.
Original post by xoxAngel_Kxox
It's not me you quoted and I don't have a link, but I do remember reading it when I was researching what 'at risk' groups included - because I then text my partner telling him he needed to stay at home because it affected fat people more haha.

With regards to the actual point, OP: .. you need to be really careful reading the numbers. You're saying 'more and more young, healthy people' but what does that mean? I think you're probably just reading about a couple every day maybe, and they stick out in your mind because they're worrying - and they're certainly reported more if they're young and healthy.

The vast, vast majority of deaths are still in older age categories, or those with underlying health issues.

You also have to remember the number of people who will have had it, but were never included in any stats due to lack of testing.

Take my grandparents for example. They started showing symptoms about 10 days ago. My gran recovered (or is getting there at least) but my grandad got taken to hospital on Saturday, where Coronavirus was confirmed. So he's included in the stats, but my gran - who is 80 but has recovered - is not included as she was not tested. We can reasonably assume that she had the virus however, as they presented with the same symptoms at the same time.

That's the thing. I see a few people talking about the UK's confirmed death rate. Which is quite high but they forget that we only test people in hospital. Imperial have estimated about 2m - as of a few days ago - have already had the virus.
Original post by Fullofsurprises
Not sure if it's proven yet, but a number of medics have been saying in media that obesity is a factor. For example, New Orleans is rapidly emerging as a fatality hotspot and has high rates of diabetes and obesity.
https://uk.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-new-orleans/why-is-new-orleans-coronavirus-death-rate-twice-new-yorks-obesity-is-a-factor-idUKKBN21K1B0

In the US, there appears to be a correlation between obesity in younger people and Covid-19 death.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/apr/01/coronavirus-young-americans-covid-19

Perhaps we will hear more about this as time goes on.

Genetic factors also apparently are playing a part, at least according to medics discussing it on Radio 4 news last night.

I think diabetes effects it regardless of obesity.

But that obesity is a factor doesn't surprise me regardless, obesity also can have factors such as increased blood pressure, reduced lung capacity etc.

I think its worth being aware:
I would also prefer reading this directly from a peer-reviewed journal article, as news outlets will report anything they think will get views. Often you can also easily gather these sort of results (especially with limited data) via 'p' hacking the data.
Original post by mnot
I think diabetes effects it regardless of obesity.

But that obesity is a factor doesn't surprise me regardless, obesity also can have factors such as increased blood pressure, reduced lung capacity etc.

I think its worth being aware:
I would also prefer reading this directly from a peer-reviewed journal article, as news outlets will report anything they think will get views. Often you can also easily gather these sort of results (especially with limited data) via 'p' hacking the data.

Yeah, I try to do the next best thing and show news stories from generally the more trusted media outlets, but I agree there are loads of half-baked science and rumours going around at present and showing up. The big quality media like the Guardian, the Post, the Times and others do seem though to be checking sources as closely as they can. I did say there was no firm evidence as yet.
Original post by Drewski
A factor, sure. But saying the majority...?

The pictures of the first few 'young deaths' (for want of a better phrase) did not show obese people.


Some people carry the obese BMI better than others.
Original post by Anonymous
Some people carry the obese BMI better than others.

Here are some more straws for you to clutch at.

Original post by MrMusician95
That's the thing. I see a few people talking about the UK's confirmed death rate. Which is quite high but they forget that we only test people in hospital. Imperial have estimated about 2m - as of a few days ago - have already had the virus.

When Iceland tested their entire population (sounds good, but they 'only' have ~360,000) they found that half had the virus.
(edited 3 years ago)
Original post by Drewski
Here are some more straws for you to clutch at.

It's not clutching at straws at all, and I have no need to clutch at any anyway. The link is there.
Original post by Anonymous
It's not clutching at straws at all, and I have no need to clutch at any anyway. The link is there.

Why post anonymously then?

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