Yahoo News Younger adults suffering with coronavirus still at risk of serious organ damage, study finds
Young adults admitted to hospital with coronavirus are almost as likely to experience complications as those over 50, a study has suggested.
Four in 10 people aged between 19 and 49 developed problems with their kidneys, lungs or other organs while treated, the research found.
The study examined 73,197 adults of all ages across 302 UK hospitals during the first wave of the pandemic last year.
The study looked at the number of "complications" in those needing hospital treatment for Covid-19, defined as an organ-specific medical diagnosis.
Overall, about half of all adult patients suffered a least one complication during their hospital stay. The most common was a kidney injury, followed by lung and heart damage.
The highest rates were in those over 50 years old, with 51per cent experiencing at least one problem.
However, they were also "very common" in younger age groups.
Some 37 per cent of 30 to 39 year olds and 44 per cent of 40 to 49 year olds had at least one complication recorded by experts involved in the study.
"The message is that this is not just a disease of the elderly and frail," said Prof Calum Semple, who led the work.
"The data reinforces the fact that Covid is not flu and we are seeing even young adults coming into hospital suffering significant complications, some of which will require furthering monitoring and potentially further treatment in the future."
Doctors are not yet certain how a severe Covid illness can cause organ damage, but it is thought the body's own immune system can in some cases spark an inflammatory response.
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