Americans between the ages of 20 and 49 were responsible for more than 70% of the spread.
A new study reaffirms that although severe coronavirus disease and death affect the elderly the most, younger adults are the cause of the spread.
Americans between the ages of 20 and 49 were responsible for more than 70 percent of COVID-19’s spread last year, according to a study by Imperial College London’s Mathematics Department.
The report, which was published in Science on Tuesday, noted that late summer and fall deaths were largely among people over the age of 50 and not among the younger population.
“It addresses this underlying false narrative … that if you protect the most vulnerable, you can let the virus spread,” said Dr. John Brownstein, an epidemiologist at Boston Children’s Hospital and a contributor to ABC News. “If you allow it to take place among younger age groups, it will continue to affect the elderly and vulnerable groups.”
As the country begins to recover from the second increase in cases and vaccination increases, the authors of the paper urged young adults to heed health warnings to reduce the spread.
The researchers used mathematical equations, mobility data and other information to determine the correlation between age groups and the spread of coronavirus.
The report concluded that one of the biggest factors behind the spread was the general movement of young and middle-aged adults among them.
“Certain age groups, such as young adults, let their guard down,” said Brownstein, who was not involved in the study. “[The report] puts more responsibility on those in younger age groups who were trying to lead a normal life and had a bit of COVID fatigue. “
The authors also found that after the reopening of schools in the fall, children and adolescents aged 0 to 19 years contributed to 15% of COVID-19 cases. According to the report, the children did not mix as much with other groups.
“This adds to the growing knowledge that allowing school-age children to return to classrooms with good protocols will not be the main transmission factor in the community,” Brownstein said.
The report said that “additional interventions among adults aged 20 to 49” would prevent the spread of COVID-19.
“I think we know we need to give the vaccine to the most vulnerable, but there are also strategies that allow us to mix different age groups and have more access,” Brownstein said. “If we have an excess offer … it’s OK to extend it to others.”
Eric Strauss of ABC News contributed to this report.