The US coronavirus pandemic has been driven mainly by young and middle-aged people, while it has mostly killed the elderly.
News management: Adults between the ages of 20 and 49 were responsible for the vast majority of the virus’s transmission last year, even after schools reopened in the fall, according to a new study published in Science.
Why does it matter: The US vaccination effort is working to keep up with the spread of new, more transmissible variants of the virus. Millions of Americans could be infected before a substantial portion of the population is vaccinated, making transmission patterns highly relevant.
- The notion that non-vulnerable people can lead a normal life, while vulnerable people isolate themselves, has not been confirmed in the US.
By numbers: Three-quarters of the new infections came from adults between the ages of 20 and 49 until mid-August last year. Adults aged 35 to 49 contributed the most to the spread.
- In October, after a large proportion of American students returned to school, this age group was still responsible. about 72% of new infections.
- The study estimates that reopening the school has increased total infections by about 26% since October, and deaths by about 6% – as children and adolescents spread the virus to adults, who are “more efficient in transmission”.
Between the lines: Young and middle-aged adults “naturally have the most contact with other adults over the age of 20 who are more susceptible” to the virus, and have been more mobile since April, according to the study.
Bottom line: This suggests that additional interventions in adults between the ages of 20 and 49, including rapid mass vaccination, if vaccines prove to block transmission, could control COVID-19-revived epidemics, the authors conclude.