NCDC blames youths for rapid COVID-19 spread

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control has said youths between the ages 20 and 40 were responsible for the spread of COVID-19, while the majority of those bearing the brunt are older people from 50 years and above.

The NCDC Director-General, Dr Chikwe Ihekweazu, who stated this on Thursday in Abuja, during the briefing of the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19, cautioned against undue and unrestrained social activities.

He said, “As more people are infected across the world, you would have seen the numbers; it is increasingly obvious that transmission among younger people really, not children, but people aged between 20 and 40 as far as we know, are really driving the spread of this virus, but those that are bearing the brunt of it are people age 50 and above.

“Three out of five people who died from COVID-19 are 50 years and above; so we have to work harder, all of us collectively, to protect our elderly. We are on the verge of opening our airports, we have relaxed intercity travel.”

Ihekweazu asked the people not to go on social visits which might further the spread of the virus.

The NCDC said it had published new guidelines and advisory for vulnerable people, and urged Nigerians to read it.