Messaging Has Focused On Risk To Elderly, But Study Finds Large Number Of Young Patients Need Hospitalization Too
Of the 508 patients known to have been hospitalized in the U.S., 38 percent are between 20 and 54. “It’s not just going to be the elderly. There will be people age 20 and up. They do have to be careful, even if they think that they’re young and healthy," Stephen Morse, a Columbia University professor of epidemiology, tells The New York Times. However, in terms of mortality rates, 80% of the deaths are adults aged 65 and older. Meanwhile, there's a deadly mix brewing in Florida -- a state with a large elderly population and a lot of young visitors who are now thought to be silent spreaders of the disease.
The New York Times:
Younger Adults Comprise Big Portion Of Coronavirus Hospitalizations In U.S.
American adults of all ages — not just those in their 70s, 80s and 90s — are being seriously sickened by the coronavirus, according to a report on nearly 2,500 of the first recorded cases in the United States. The report, issued Wednesday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, found that — as in other countries — the oldest patients had the greatest likelihood of dying and of being hospitalized. But of the 508 patients known to have been hospitalized, 38 percent were notably younger — between 20 and 54. And nearly half of the 121 patients who were admitted to intensive care units were adults under 65, the C.D.C. reported. (Belluck, 3/18)
Stat:
U.S. Official: Some Coronavirus Infections In Millennials Can Be Severe
Most public health messaging so far has stressed that people who are older, whose immune systems are weakened, and who have underlying diseases are at higher risk of becoming critical cases. But during a briefing, Deborah Birx, the official, cited preliminary data from Europe to caution the public that younger adults can get very sick as well. “There are concerning reports coming out of France and Italy about some young people getting seriously ill, and very seriously ill in the ICUs,” said Birx, a physician and ambassador. (Joseph, 3/18)
Stat:
New Analysis Of Coronavirus Risk: Young Adults Are Not Invincible
In general, the U.S. experience largely mimics China’s, with the risk for serious disease and death from Covid-19 rising with age. But in an important qualification, an analysis by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported on Wednesday underlines a message that infectious disease experts have been emphasizing: Millennials are not invincible. The new data show that up to one-fifth of infected people ages 20-44 have been hospitalized, including 2%-4% who required treatment in an intensive care unit. (Begley, 3/18)
The Hill:
CDC: 80 Percent Of US Coronavirus Deaths Are People 65 And Older
Eighty percent of deaths associated with the coronavirus in the United States were in adults aged 65 and older, according to an analysis released Wednesday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). “The risk for serious disease and death in COVID-19 cases among persons in the United States increases with age,” the CDC said. “Social distancing is recommended for all ages to slow the spread of the virus, protect the health care system, and help protect vulnerable older adults.” (Hellmann, 3/18)
CIDRAP:
US Studies Offer Clues To COVID-19 Swift Spread, Severity
Although severe illness and death from COVID-19 infection can occur in people of any age, 80% of US deaths so far have been in those 65 years and older, with the worst outcomes in people 85 and older, according to an analysis in today's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). In another report in the same journal, experts analyzing the highly publicized novel coronavirus outbreak in a Washington state long-term care facility said that the virus can quickly spread in residents, workers, and visitors and that "substantial morbidity and mortality might be averted if all long-term care facilities take steps now to prevent exposure of their residents to COVID-19." (Beusekom, 3/18)
The New York Times:
A Deadly Coronavirus Mix In Florida: An Aging Population And Lots Of Young Visitors
At the Florida community of The Villages, the retirement capital of America and the place with the nation’s highest concentration of older people, only 33 people have been tested for the coronavirus. In the Florida Keys, swamped with young spring breakers and travelers from around the world, just 16 people had been tested by Monday night. Ten of Florida’s 67 counties have tested no one at all. A disease that is deadly to the elderly and easily spread by the young has left Florida especially vulnerable. (Mazzei, Robles and Burch, 3/18)
Los Angeles Times:
How 'Silent Spreaders' Are Fueling The Coronavirus Pandemic
Since a novel coronavirus first made its presence known in China, public health officials around the world have had one fervent hope: That people who are infected but not sick would pass the virus to others only rarely. That would give these silent spreaders no more than a bit part in driving a global outbreak. That hope is in danger of being dashed. (Healy, 3/17)
