Variants hit young hard

On Sunday, April 18, 30-year-old Danica Pettipas of Halifax noticed she had a slight cough.

Five days later, struck with high fever, vomiting and dehydration, she was rushed by ambulance to hospital.

The next day, hooked up to IVS, her skin discoloured by red and purple blotches, Pettipas posted a blunt Facebook message from her bed: “COVID-19 is no joke.”

She doesn’t know how she was infected. She’d been careful about limiting her activities and wearing a mask. Her job is in retail. Her case is considered untraceable.

Thankfully, Pettipas is recovering. But more than 100 young Canadians who’ve died from COVID-19 have not been as fortunate.

In the last week alone, a 13-year-old girl in Brampton, Ont., an Edmonton-area woman in her 20s and a 36-yearold woman in Moose Jaw, Sask. have all died after contracting COVID-19.

In the case of 13-year-old Emily Victoria Viegas, she was admitted to hospital Thursday and died the same day.

Authorities in British Columbia recently confirmed a child under age one who died in January had COVID-19.

That is sending a grim message to anyone who somehow still thinks their age will magically protect them — no, it won’t.

Health experts have warned for months that the latest COVID-19 wave — powered by more infectious variants — is striking younger people much harder than before.

Health-care workers are seeing higher rates of severe illness, hospitalizations and even deaths in people under the age of 40. Young people are getting much sicker, much faster.

Health officials in jurisdictions across the country say hospital resources have been stretched to the breaking point.

According to Statistics Canada, as of April 26, 20-to-29year-olds represent the largest demographic group, at 19.9 per cent, among all COVID cases. The next largest, at 19.1 per cent, are people 19 and under.

As of April 23, almost 1,000 people under the age of 40 have needed admission to hospital intensive care units (ICUS). At least 145 had died.

Even among those who recover, experts say, COVID infections can result in serious, lingering consequences for young people’s health.

Older, unvaccinated Canadians are still at higher risk, but the young are clearly far from immune.

Few young people are yet eligible to be vaccinated. And it could be several months before vaccines become widely available for those age groups.

All of which means it’s even more important right now for young people to strictly follow public health guidelines designed to help prevent the transmission of the virus.

In doing so, they’re protecting both themselves and those they love.

For Pettipas, who was infuriated by reports of young people partying this past weekend in Halifax and showing off tickets issued by police for breaking the rules, the message is simple: “People, don’t be idiots ’cause you think you’re invincible and can’t get COVID-19. I got it and anyone can.”