Young people “are spreading a pandemic” by “not worrying” if they become infected.

Anthony Fauci, the country’s leading infectious disease expert, says the data is clear that “young people” are “driving this new surge” in coronavirus infections. While young people may feel invincible and are right that most of them will not get sick, they must understand the role they play in making sure the virus spreads to others with sometimes lethal consequences. “They are not going to get very sick. They know it, ”Fauci said in an interview with WebMD medical director John Whyte. “So what I think is happening is that, understandably, innocently, but not correctly, younger people say, well, if I get infected, then chances are I don’t even have any symptoms, so who cares. ? That’s a big mistake “.

Recent data shows that the largest age group reporting new COVID-19 infections is “at least 15 years younger” than a few months ago, he said. And while it is true that statistically these people are less likely to develop severe symptoms, people need to analyze the consequences of their actions. By allowing yourself to become infected or not worrying about becoming infected, you are spreading a pandemic. Because it doesn’t end with you, ”said Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. “You become infected and have no symptoms. Most likely, you will infect another person, which will then infect another person. ” And finally, in that chain, the virus could reach someone vulnerable, either because of their age or because they have a compromised immune system. “Suddenly, you are not operating in a vacuum,” he said. “You are part of the problem rather than part of the solution.” Fauci emphasized that he did not want to blame anyone, calling it a messaging problem. “These are people who are doing this innocently and inadvertently,” he said.

Fauci spoke as the surge in new COVID-19 infections is leading to crowded emergency rooms in some parts of the country. New infections are also on the rise worldwide, as the World Health Organization reported a record increase in cases for the second consecutive day with an increase of 259,848 in 24 hours. The United States led the ranking with 71,484 new cases, followed by Brazil with 45,403 and India with 34,884.

Fauci, who is currently locked in a strained relationship with much of the White House leadership, said he maintains his prediction last month that the United States could start reporting up to 100,000 new COVID-19 infections per day. Although reaching that number is not inevitable, avoiding it would require people to follow social distancing guidelines and wear masks. “I hope we don’t achieve that and that we really turn it around on time,” Fauci said. “But, you know, the virus is … it’s a very formidable enemy here.”

In an interview with Mark Zuckerberg on Facebook on Thursday, Fauci warned that while most young people will not develop serious symptoms, there are growing reports that many are ill for weeks and could have long-term consequences. “They are the people who really get knocked out, particularly those who require hospitalization, that will take months or a year or more to determine if there are lasting and damaging consequences of the infection,” Fauci said. “We just don’t know that now. We haven’t had enough time.