An ER Doctor Explains

These strokes have been reported throughout the world and are happening in much younger people, Dr. Motola says, but adds that experts are "still trying to gather all the information and enough numbers to understand what's going on."

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While the virus is certainly scary and dangerous—and we still need to learn much more about it—Dr. Motola says that we know quite a bit about how to stay safe from COVID-19. "We know how to prevent it from being passed along, but if everyone isn't doing their part, then we get what we see now," Dr. Motola says, referencing a surge she's seen in Miami at her own hospital—mainly from reopening plans. "When we stared reopening, a combination of folks sick of being indoors, some of them or a lot of them choosing not to wear masks and convene in large groups, that has really led to this big surge," she says.

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Dr. Motola also notes that, in the beginning of the pandemic, experts were seeing the effects of COVID-19 primarily in older people—those in their 60s, 70s, or 80s—while younger people believed they were less likely to be affected by it. But now that the disease is showing up in younger people too, Dr. Motola wants to remind everyone that the illness can affect anyone at any time.

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"What I really want to convey to everyone is that you don't know how your body is going to react," she says. "You don't know if you're going to be one of those people who has no or minimal symptoms, or if you're going to end up being really sick on a ventilator and potentially dying."

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That's where safety precautions come into play: social distancing, wearing masks, and frequent handwashing or other hygiene techniques. "I feel like people who don't take those precautions are really playing Russian roulette with their lives," Dr. Motola says.

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