In Southern U.S., increases in positive PCR tests in adults age 20 to 39 preceded those in adults ≥60
FRIDAY, Sept. 25, 2020 (HealthDay News) — From May to August 2020, there was a decrease in the median age of COVID-19 cases in the United States, according to research published in the Sept. 23 early-release issue of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
Tegan K. Boehmer, Ph.D., from the CDC COVID-19 Response Team, and colleagues examined the changing age distribution of the COVID-19 pandemic during May to August by assessing COVID-19-like illness-related emergency department visits, positive severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test results, and confirmed COVID-19 cases.
The researchers found that from May to July and August, the median age of COVID-19 cases declined from 46 to 37 and 38 years, respectively, nationwide. In all U.S. Census regions, similar patterns were seen for COVID-19-like illness-related emergency department visits and positive RT-PCR test results. During June to August, COVID-19 incidence was highest among adults aged 20 to 29 years, who accounted for >20 percent of all confirmed cases. In regional outbreaks of COVID-19 in the Southern United States in June, increases in the percentage of positive SARS-CoV-2 test results among adults aged 20 to 39 years preceded increases among adults aged ≥60 years by an average of 8.7 days.
“Strict adherence to community mitigation strategies and personal preventive behaviors by younger adults is needed to help reduce their risk for infection and minimize subsequent transmission of SARS-CoV-2 to persons at higher risk for severe COVID-19,” the authors write.
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