The coronavirus pandemic in the United States has been driven primarily by young and middle-aged people, while it has mostly killed the elderly.
Leading the news: According to a new study published in Science, adults ages 20 to 49 were responsible for the vast majority of virus transmission last year, even after schools reopened in the fall.
Why it’s important: The U.S. vaccination effort is underway to keep up with the spread of new, more transmissible variants of the virus. Millions more Americans could become infected before a significant portion of the population is vaccinated, making transmission patterns very relevant.
- The idea that non-vulnerable people can lead their normal lives, while vulnerable people isolate themselves, has not been confirmed in the US.
By numbers: Three-quarters of new infections originated in adults between the ages of 20 and 49 by mid-August last year. Adults aged 35 to 49 years contributed more.
- In October, after a large proportion of American students returned to school, this age group was still responsible. approximately 72% of new infections.
- The study estimates that school reopenings increased total infections by about 26% in October and deaths by about 6%, as children and adolescents spread the virus to adults, who are “more efficient at transmission.” .
Between lines: Young, middle-aged adults “naturally have the most contact with other adults 20 years or older, who are more susceptible” to the virus, and were more mobile as of April, according to the study.
The summary: “This suggests that additional interventions in adults aged 20–49 years, including rapid mass vaccination if vaccines are shown to block transmission, could control resurrected COVID-19 epidemics,” the authors conclude.