Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis claimed during a coronavirus education meeting Thursday that “I don’t think, nationwide, there’s been a single fatality under 25 [due to the coronavirus].”
Former New York Times reporter Alex Berenson made a similar claim on Sean Hannity’s Fox News show, stating, “kids, children, anyone under 30 is at no risk to this.”
While older patients constitute most coronavirus deaths in the United States and worldwide the U.S. has seen one death of a child between 1 and 4 years old and four deaths among those ages 15 to 24, as of April 4, 2020, according to the CDC. Overall deaths have doubled since then. A Washington Post analysis published on April 8 identified nine patients under the age of 20 who have died from coronavirus and 45 individuals between the ages of 20 and 29 who have died. The Post notes that not every state provides information about the age of coronavirus victims, so the numbers are likely higher. According to CDC data, 25.1 percent of coronavirus cases serious enough to require hospitalization in March were under the age of 50.
In addition to the health risks posed to the young by the virus, there is also a great deal of concern about young people contracting coronavirus and passing it to older adults and those with underlying health issues who are at higher risk of severe illness and death. Especially since even those with mild or even no symptoms are capable of passing the disease onto others.
If you have a claim you would like to see us fact check, please send us an email at factcheck@thedispatch.com. If you would like to suggest a correction to this piece or any other Dispatch article, please email corrections@thedispatch.com.
Photograph of Ron DeSantis by Joe Raedle/Getty Images.
Please note that we at The Dispatch hold ourselves, our work, and our commenters to a higher standard than other places on the internet. We welcome comments that foster genuine debate or discussion—including comments critical of us or our work—but responses that include ad hominem attacks on fellow Dispatch members or are intended to stoke fear and anger may be moderated.
You are currently using a limited time guest pass and do not have access to commenting. Consider subscribing to join the conversation.
With your membership, you only have the ability to comment on The Morning Dispatch articles. Consider upgrading to join the conversation everywhere.