The coronavirus pandemic in the U.S. has been primarily driven by young and middle-aged people, while killing mainly older individuals.
Driving the news: Grownups aged 20-49 were responsible for the huge bulk of infection transmission in 2015, even after schools resumed in the fall, according to a new study released in Science
Why it matters: The U.S. vaccination effort is racing to keep up with the spread of brand-new, more transmissible versions of the virus. Millions more Americans could be infected before a substantial part of the population is vaccinated, making transmission patterns deeply appropriate.
- The concept that non-vulnerable individuals can set about their typical lives, while vulnerable people self-isolate, has actually not borne out in the U.S.
By the numbers: Three-quarters of new infections originated from grownups 20-49 until mid-August of in 2015. Grownups 35-49 contributed the most to spread.
- In October, after a large part of U.S. students returned to school, this age was still responsible for about 72%of new infections.
- The study approximates that school reopenings increased total infections by about 26%as of October, and deaths by about 6%– since kids and teens spread the virus to grownups, who are “more transmission efficient.”
Between the lines: Young and middle-aged grownups “naturally have most contacts to other grownups aged 20 and above, which are more susceptible” to the virus, and they were more mobile from April on, per the research study.
The bottom line: ” This recommends that extra interventions to adults aged 20-49, consisting of rapid mass vaccination if vaccines prove to obstruct transmission, might bring resurgent COVID-19 upsurges under control,” the authors conclude.
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