Young people are increasingly driving COVID-19's spread
By Reid Wilson - 07/18/20 01:42 PM EDT
Younger Americans eager to get back to their social lives are increasingly responsible for the spread of the coronavirus, risking their own health and that of their family and friends under what health experts say is the misguided impression that the virus cannot cause them harm.
Health departments across the country are reporting that younger people are making up larger shares of the total number of those infected with the virus. The greater infection rates among young people are occurring both in states that are getting a handle on their outbreaks and those that are not.
“In these trends, we are seeing the impact of our collective decisions. We are jeopardizing the gains we made as a state,†Washington state Health Secretary John Wiesman said Friday, pointing to an increase in hospitalizations among people between the ages of 20 and 39. “[T]he actions each one of us takes now will determine what happens next.â€
In early June, just 10 percent of those who tested positive in Rhode Island were in their 20s. By the end of the month, that share had doubled. The average age of a Rhode Islander who tests positive fell from 47.5 years old to 39.2 years old in a week.
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https://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/507905-young-people-are-increasingly-driving-covid-19s-spread