Health

CDC study: Cases of COVID-19 in people under 40 exploded during summer months

BOSTON — One of the state’s newest ‘red zones’ achieved that status because of an infection cluster among an expected demographic. Nine patients at a Holliston nursing home have apparently been diagnosed with COVID-19.

Those infections could force cancellation of some youth soccer games this weekend, according to the Holliston Youth Soccer Association -- if teams from other towns don’t want to risk coming here.

COVID-19 has a way of affecting multiple generations in different ways. That was apparent in a new Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study, which looked at the changing demographics of Covid infections from winter to spring to last summer.

“During the summer months of June through August, adults in their twenties had the highest rate of infection and they accounted for one out of every five infections,” said study author Tegan Boehmer, PhD, a commander in the US Public Health Service and an epidemiologist with the CDC.

In fact, as spring melted into summer, infections in the U.S. shifted massively to those under age 40, jumping from 39.8% in May to more than 50% in July and August.

But those infections did not end with the younger demographic.

“We also found that during regional outbreaks in the Southern United States that adults aged 20-39 likely played a key role in spreading the COVID-19 in their communities, including to older adults,” Boehmer said.

The CDC data shows that first became apparent last month. After infections in those 60 and older bottomed out in July at 16.4 percent, they ticked up to 18.3% in August.

Was this just a summer phenomenon?

Not likely, says Paul Sax, MD, an infectious disease specialist at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston.

“I think this is something we’re going to see repeatedly,” Sax said. “Kind of the leading edge of Covid-19 cases will be young adults.”

Sax says this ominous pattern is playing out now in Europe.

“Talking about Spain, France, to some lesser degree Germany... they are seeing a big increase in cases,” he said. “It started with the younger people and it’s now moved to involve older and more vulnerable individuals.”

Sax said -- and the CDC study points out -- that while it is more common for younger people to develop few or even no symptoms from COVID-19 infection than older people, that is not guaranteed.

“Young adults, especially those with underlying medical conditions can get seriously ill from COVID-19,” Boehmer said.


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