The severity of COVID-19 is age-related, with the advantage going to younger age-groups. Five reasons are presented. The first two are well-known, are being actively researched by the broader medical community, and therefore are discussed only briefly here. The third, fourth and fifth reasons derive from evolutionary life history theory, and potentially fill gaps in current understanding of why and how young and old age-groups respond differently to infection with SARS-CoV-2. Age of onset of generalized somatic aging and the timing of its progression are identified as important causes of these disparities, as are specific antagonistic pleiotropic tradeoffs in immune system function. Lay Summary: Covid-19 is less severe in younger age-groups than it is in older age-groups. Five advantages of youth are identified and explained in light of evolutionary life history theory, with a focus on the pattern of aging and specific tradeoffs between early and late immune system function.

中文翻译：

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COVID-19 在年轻年龄组中不太严重的五个原因

COVID-19 的严重程度与年龄有关，对较年轻的年龄组有利。提出了五个原因。前两个是众所周知的，正在被更广泛的医学界积极研究，因此在此仅作简要讨论。第三、第四和第五个原因来自进化生命史理论，并可能填补当前对年轻人和老年人群对 SARS-CoV-2 感染的不同反应的原因和方式的理解中的空白。全身性衰老的发生年龄及其进展时间被确定为这些差异的重要原因，免疫系统功能中的特定拮抗多效性权衡也是如此。躺总结：Covid-19 在年轻年龄组中的严重程度低于在年长年龄组中的严重程度。根据进化生命史理论确定并解释了青年的五个优势，重点是衰老模式以及早期和晚期免疫系统功能之间的特定权衡。