Young People Account for ‘Disturbing’ Number of New COVID-19 Cases As COVID-19 surges in cities and states across the country, public health officials have identified an alarming trend among younger people.
In areas currently experiencing a spike in cases, people in their 20s, 30s and 40s are accounting for an increasing majority of known COVID-19 cases.
In Arizona, people aged 20 to 44 account for nearly half of the state's 63,030 cases.
In Florida, the median age of those testing positive for COVID-19 is 35.
It was previously 65 in March.
Joseph McCormick, UTHealth, via ‘NYT’ Experts say the rise in COVID-19 infections in younger adults is likely due to their willingness to socialize in newly reopened economies.
Although younger people are at a lower risk of hospitalization, their exposure is believed to have fueled transmission to more vulnerable Americans.
Increased COVID-19 testing has also been a factor, as younger people were previously less likely to meet criteria that was required for testing.
Dr. Robert Redfield of the CDC says that for every confirmed case of COVID-19, there’s likely 10 other unconfirmed infections.