Question: FEMA is reporting a big jump in the number of cases of COVID-19 patients between 20-30 years old – what could be behind that?
Well, there are a few reasons. Some of it has to do with an increase in testing. Some of it has to do with college athletes who have started training again.
But a lot of it has to do with attitude and behavior. Young people are not taking this as seriously as older folks. Instead of social distancing, they prefer to go out and hang with friends. And too many are not wearing masks, they’re standing too close and they’re hanging out at large gatherings.
A great example of this is what happened at a popular bar in East Lansing. The bar attracted a lot of people and there were long lines to get in. Unfortunately, many didn’t follow safety protocols.
So it’s not a surprise that 25 people between the ages of 18-23 have now tested positive for the coronavirus.
Question: Are you worried about the recent spike in positive cases among younger people?
Yes absolutely. Young people who get sick typically do not need intensive care or ventilation like what we see with older people. And that could be because they have fewer underlying conditions, or because we now have treatments like Remdesivir and convalescent plasma that can help.
Regardless, I am worried that their behavior will unfortunately have serious consequences for the older generation. They can so easily spread the virus when they visit parents, grandparents, or around that comes in close contact with them. That’s what’s concerning.
Young people really need to think more about others. And what might happen if they get COVID-19.
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