Second wave of coronavirus outbreak in Hungary different, CMO says
While the spring wave of the outbreak affected elderly people with chronic diseases, this has now changed and the average age of recently infected people is around 30,
Müller said, adding that data needed to be analysed further.
As a result, younger people now have a bigger responsibility as there is a higher probability for the community spread of the virus in this age group. It is possible that young people are not aware of the risk of getting infected as their symptoms are less severe or non-existent, but they can still transmit the disease, she said, requesting the younger generations to act more responsibly.
In a recent interview with Portfolio, mathematician Gergely Röst said the coronavirus is currently spreading mostly in younger generations.
The median age of COVID-19 cases was 69 years in April, but it is now 31, which means that half of the infected are younger than 31,
Röst said. This is eerily similar to what happened in Florida, which had a rise in confirmed cases but no increase in the number of hospitalised patients or fatalities. This has made people complacent, but five weeks after the rise in the number of cases, the coronavirus started to claim more lives.
“The second wave also differs from the first one in that most cases in the spring were in institutions (hospitals and retirement homes), while at present the community spread of the virus is dominant,” Röst said. There are significantly more community cases now than there were in April or May, he added.
What we can do against the virus
People must continue to comply with virus defence regulations and recommendations, including social distancing, wearing masks on public transport and indoors, washing and disinfecting hands regularly and disinfecting surfaces touched often by several people, the Chief Medical Officer stressed.
The responsible behaviour of citizens can prevent the repeated introduction of nationwide restrictions “that have severely limited our lives this spring”, Müller added.
Cover photo: MTI/Zoltán Balogh
