Health Experts Get Worried Over Rising Number Of Coronavirus Cases In Young People

The rising number of coronavirus cases, particularly among young people in the United States, is starting to alarm public health officials. The increase suggests that, since young adults are likely to hold service jobs, many of them are prone to forget or even ignore social distancing measures advised by health experts.

Troubled States

According to The Hill, the most troubled states are those in the Sun Belt region like Florida, Texas, Arizona, North Carolina, and California. All five states report having over 1,000 new COVID-19 cases each day from June 14 to 20, making them the only states to go beyond the four-digit barrier in that period. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott reveals most of the new cases in the lone star state appear to be residents under 30 years old. The governor said the majority of the cases are linked to “bar-type settings” where many have been gathering since Memorial Day weekend.

In an interview with KLBK, a CBS-affiliated TV station, Abbott said what they are seeing now are people in that age group not following health and safety practices as advised. “They're not wearing face masks. They're not sanitizing their hands. They're not maintaining safe distancing practices. And as a result, they are contracting COVID-19 at a record pace in the state of Texas,” Abbott told the news outlet.

Same Problem With California

Dr. George Lemp, an infectious disease epidemiologist, analyzed the data provided by the California Department of Public Health regarding the current state of coronavirus infections. He found that of the recent COVID-19 cases, 44% are individuals who are below 35 years old. Dr. Lemp is the director of the HIV/AIDS Research Program at the University of California.

State officials agree with Lemps’s findings, saying they have observed an increasing number of younger people getting the virus. However, they also suggest that it might have been due to the increase in diagnostic tests provided to those who show only a few symptoms.

A spokeswoman for the California state health department, Ali Bay, said that in the first few months of the outbreak, there was limited testing. She said their tests are focused on those considered to be most vulnerable, which included patients who were brought to hospitals or arrived in emergency rooms with severe symptoms. Since that time, the state, according to Bay, has considerably expanded the availability of testing to include a bigger set of communities and environments. The spokeswoman added that a lot of younger people can now get tested, including those who work in high-risk environments.

New COVID-19 Clusters

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) also reveals that clusters of new coronavirus cases among young people have sprung up around in Mobile County, Alabama, and around the University of Central Florida in Orlando. Many other cases have been linked to fraternity parties around the University of Mississippi in Oxford and a party in Uinta County in Wyoming.

Figures collated by the health body show that around 40% of confirmed coronavirus cases since March have been among people aged 18 to 49. CDC also reported that the percentage of younger people who tested positive has steadily increased from 32% in March to more than 50% over the past week.