As young people around the globe get restless about lockdowns, they are contracting the virus

Undoubtedly, in the world’s battle against the novel virus, the risk takers, or those who have little respect for preventive protocols as needless excesses, have run down the risk-averse, or those who follow social distancing norms to quash the pandemic. With the result that COVID-19 is increasingly turning out to be a disease of the young with the tried and tested “stay at home” formula wearing off among millennials. Despite the re-imposition of lockdown restrictions, nations such as the US, Spain and Japan, to name a few, have seen a new wave of the virus, thanks to the fearless attitude of their youth, who feel their age is insurance enough against the pandemic. In Arizona, for example, half of all positive cases were among people aged between 20 and 44. In Texas’s Hays County, people in their 20s made up for 50 per cent of the victims. In Germany, college students were seen soaking in the sun in groups. As a result, Governments, which remain heavily dependent on public compliance to fight the pandemic in the absence of an effective vaccine, are left to confront a new set of problems. Rule-breaking is becoming the new normal as Generation Z is finding it difficult to maintain social distancing norms and faces psychological fatigue. For youngsters, the brazen re-opening of markets has meant exploitation of personal liberty. Bored of staying at home, feeling frustrated due to the lack of options to socialise and robbed of job opportunities, they have endless reasons to venture out — some have been commuting for work or care-giving, others can’t stay at home and have been visiting bars, beaches and nightclubs.

What has emboldened them all the more is reportage that younger people are less at risk of a severe COVID-19 infection/death. However, they cannot forget that even if they don’t suffer extremes and are asymptomatic, they are vectors and could endanger the susceptible lot. More than putting themselves at risk, they must think about the safety of others, be a bit more selfless than selfish. Examples from the ebola pandemic offer hope that the young could contain the present crisis by being mindful.

As young people around the globe get restless about lockdowns, they are contracting the virus

Undoubtedly, in the world’s battle against the novel virus, the risk takers, or those who have little respect for preventive protocols as needless excesses, have run down the risk-averse, or those who follow social distancing norms to quash the pandemic. With the result that COVID-19 is increasingly turning out to be a disease of the young with the tried and tested “stay at home” formula wearing off among millennials. Despite the re-imposition of lockdown restrictions, nations such as the US, Spain and Japan, to name a few, have seen a new wave of the virus, thanks to the fearless attitude of their youth, who feel their age is insurance enough against the pandemic. In Arizona, for example, half of all positive cases were among people aged between 20 and 44. In Texas’s Hays County, people in their 20s made up for 50 per cent of the victims. In Germany, college students were seen soaking in the sun in groups. As a result, Governments, which remain heavily dependent on public compliance to fight the pandemic in the absence of an effective vaccine, are left to confront a new set of problems. Rule-breaking is becoming the new normal as Generation Z is finding it difficult to maintain social distancing norms and faces psychological fatigue. For youngsters, the brazen re-opening of markets has meant exploitation of personal liberty. Bored of staying at home, feeling frustrated due to the lack of options to socialise and robbed of job opportunities, they have endless reasons to venture out — some have been commuting for work or care-giving, others can’t stay at home and have been visiting bars, beaches and nightclubs.

What has emboldened them all the more is reportage that younger people are less at risk of a severe COVID-19 infection/death. However, they cannot forget that even if they don’t suffer extremes and are asymptomatic, they are vectors and could endanger the susceptible lot. More than putting themselves at risk, they must think about the safety of others, be a bit more selfless than selfish. Examples from the ebola pandemic offer hope that the young could contain the present crisis by being mindful.