Maria Van Kerkhove, WHO infectious disease epidemiologist Fabrice Coffrini/AFP/Getty Images

Data is continuing to show that younger people are being hospitalized with Covid-19, World Health Organization officials said during a media briefing in Geneva on Friday.

"Young people are not invincible," said Dr. Maria Van Kerkhove, WHO infectious disease epidemiologist.

"What we know from data across a number of countries — including data from China, including data from the US and Italy and Iran and Korea and Japan and others — is that this virus can cause mild disease," Kerkhove said. "But we do have reports and there are some publications now that describe severe infection in children."

Dr. Mike Ryan, WHO executive director of health emergencies program, said during the briefing that in Korea, 20% of the deaths were in people under 60 years of age; in Italy, up to 15% of people in intensive care were under 50; and in Germany and other countries, up to 10% to 15% of people under 50 with disease will have moderate to severe infection.

"This Covid-19 virus is capable of causing infection and severe disease in people of all ages," Kerkhove said.