Five children and teens in England have died of coronavirus and nearly 50 other people aged under 40
FIVE teenagers and children and nearly 50 other people aged under 40 have died in England after contracting coronavirus, new figures show.
At least 3,390 of 6,483 people who died with the disease were aged 80 or over, NHS England statistics published yesterday revealed.
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Another 2,576 people who died were aged 60-79, with 465 Covid-19 deaths among people aged 40-59.
Forty seven of the deaths were among Brits aged 20-39.
Positive cases in the UK have also hit 60,733 – up from 55,242 infections in 24 hours.
Experts are trying to determine why some younger people with no known underlying health issues are dying from the disease.
Older people are more at risk, with the World Health Organisations warned younger people are not “invincible”.
Underlying health conditions are also a factor, regardless of a person’s age.
YOUNG VICTIMS
Yesterday’s shocking statistics include Britain’s youngest known victim, a five-year-old child who had underlying health conditions.
Another young Brit, 13-year-old Ismail Mohamed Abdulwahab, died in King’s College Hospital in London last Monday after testing positive for the deadly disease.
His mum and six siblings were not able to be by his side in his final moments in case they too caught the killer virus.
The heartbroken family have now paid tribute to the teenager, saying: “We are heartbroken as a family due to the devastation caused by the coronavirus as it becomes too real for us as a family and community.
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“Ismail was a loving son, brother, nephew to our family and a friend to many people who knew him. His smile was heart-warming and he was always gentle and kind.
The teenager’s family, from Brixton South London couldn’t attend his funeral as two of his siblings had developed symptoms.
Strangers in protective suits and masks carried his coffin and placed it into a grave.
An “extremely healthy” 19-year-old chef from Italy died in London from the bug.
Luca Di Nicola, 19 is said to have had no underlying health conditions.
A person aged 104 is believed to be the oldest UK victim to die with coronavirus.
MAKESHIFT MORGUES
Research by Imperial College London shows 5 per cent of under-40s hospitalised with the virus need critical care, compared to 27 per cent of those in their 60s and 43 per cent of people in their 70s.
Some researchers believe a person’s genetic make-up could put them more at risk of the disease.
Virologist Michael Skinner, from Imperial College London, told The Guardian: “It is very possible that some of us could have a particular genetic makeup that makes it more likely that we will respond badly to an infection with this coronavirus.”
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Other scientists think the level of the bug someone is infected with is key.
Research from Imperial College London shows five per scent of under-50s need to be hospitalised with coronavirus symptoms, with the figure rising to 24 per cent for 70-79-year-olds
Two huge temporary morgues have been built in London to bury bodies if deaths spike,
An emergency mortuary with initial space for 1,500 bodies has also been set up at Birmingham Airport and another in Cambridge to cope with a surge in fatalities.
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