Coronavirus infections recorded more among young people in southern states of US

As Florida and South Carolina broke the record for most new daily coronavirus infections for third consecutive days, officials across the south have raised concerns over more young people testing positive for COVID-19. According to international media reports, the shift in demographics has been recorded in regions in Florida, South Carolina, Georgia, Texas among other states in the United States. While some officials including the US President Donald Trump have credited the increase in the number of coronavirus cases to the widespread testing of the disease, others think the COVID-19 cases are at an upswing because Americans are failing to maintain social distance. 

According to reports, one health official in Mississippi has even said that the violation of social distancing rule by the people in recent weeks has been ‘overwhelmingly disappointing’. Moreover, Texas Governor Greg Abbot had said last week that the people who are below the age of 30 are testing positive for COVID-19. According to him, the reason for young people being in majority among the new coronavirus infections is the heightened visits to bars, restaurants and even parties for Memorial Day. 

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Even Florida Governor Ron DeSantis had said on June 19 that the average age of people contracting the novel coronavirus in the state is 37. Moreover, in the week of June 7, DeSantis said that 62 per cent of the new cases were among people below the age of 45. This was also a significant change in the age of COVID-19 patients as compared to that in the month of March and April when most people testing positive for coronavirus were older or had pre-existing medical conditions. 

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Black people have a higher risk of hospitalisation

Apart from more younger people testing positive for COVID-19, the disease is also spreading unevenly among minorities. A new study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has revealed that in Atlanta, black patients of COVID-19 are more likely to be hospitalised than white patients. According to the study released on June 18, CDC has said among 79 per cent people admitted to the hospital due to coronavirus infections were black and only 13 per cent were white.  The study took place across six hospitals in Atlanta, Georgia, between March and April of this year. Overall summary of the research has concluded the most COVID-19 patients that are hospitalised are “older, male, of black race” and some have pre-existing medical conditions.

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Image: AP