Newsbrief: Covid-19 could be impacting young Americans more than we first thought

by Quinn Schoff 

Early findings in China suggested that elderly people and those who were chronically ill were most vulnerable to Covid-19, yet a large number of young people in the United States have been hospitalized, according to The Guardian. 

So far nearly 40% of COVID-19 patients in the United States were under 55 and 20% were between 20 and 44 according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Across numerous countries everyone seemed very focused on the mortality and death rates which were low in young adults pretty much everywhere.  

However, a study from Shenzhen, China showed that young people are just as likely to get infected as older people. From data on hospitalization rates we are seeing now that young adults are also experiencing severe illness but the mortality rate in young adults still tends to be lower. 

While adults and people with underlying conditions are still the most severely impacted by Covid-19, the American public as a whole has a wide range of underlying baseline health. 

(Photo: CDC/Reuters)

Collected death data shows that there is a higher chance of mortality for those 80 and above. This is based on testing, which in the United States is mainly being directed towards those who are older. 

When it comes to pediatrics, national and international data is showing that kids who go to the hospital for COVID-19 have had underlying medical conditions that make them immunocompromised. While a majority of them have mild illnesses, some kids and young adults have a very serve illnesses. 

Doctors are still waiting to see the long-term effects, but what is known is that it takes people a lot longer to recover than we initially thought, a concern with COVID-19 is that it could leave long term damage, doctors are still waiting to determine if that’s true.

Reporter Quinn Schoff is missing the routine and schedule that came with being on campus, just like everyone else they are dealing with these new circumstances one day at a time.