The Shocking Amount Of Young Albertans Who Have Got COVID-19 Could 'Fill The Saddledome'

Dr. Hinshaw has a message for the young people of the province. During a public address on Wednesday, December 16, the health official spoke about the Alberta COVID-19 cases among young people. 

"Today I want to remind anyone who is in the 20 to 40 age range that this virus also impacts you," she said. 

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32,000 people aged 20-39 who have contracted COVID-19.

Hinshaw said that more than 380 of those young Albertans have been hospitalized and "sadly, eight of these have died." 

"To put this in perspective, if you gathered every Albertan between the ages of 20 and 39 who has been diagnosed with COVID-19, they would fill the Saddledome in Calgary, the Centrium in Red Deer and the Enmax Centre in Lethbridge," Hinshaw said. 

She spoke to the fact that COVID-19 doesn't discriminate, and that the long-term impacts can be serious in some cases. 

Hinshaw urged everyone in the province to avoid in-person interactions as much as possible. 

"This includes not having holiday parties or other gatherings in our homes. Instead, we must all look for ways to connect virtually."

She said during the address that COVID-19 has killed more people in the province than the past 10 flu seasons combined. To date, 760 Albertans have died of COVID-19.