Young adults are fueling the spread of coronavirus

Young adults are behind recent increases in COVID-19 cases in Michigan.

An article in Bridge Magazine indicates that those under the age of 40 now make up more than half of new COVID-19 cases in the state, which is double what we saw before June.

People between the ages of 20 and 29 are quickly rising in the coronavirus stats.

Public health officials are worried.

“We saw it — tables being pulled together, people standing in line not social distancing or wearing masks,” said Lynn Sutfin, a spokesperson for the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services.

Young people are already prone to feeling impervious. Now, they also feel cooped up after months of stay-at-home orders.

Sutfin describes it as a nightmare scenario for public health experts.

Up until June 5, those under 30 made up almost 16% of COVID-19 cases in Michigan. But that’s changed dramatically in recent days. They now make up more than 60% of cases.

A bright spot may be that younger people are less likely to die or require hospitalization due to the coronavirus. People under 40 account for under 1% of COVID-19 deaths.

Sunday was the first day in months the state reported no coronavirus-related deaths, which may be a sign of improvement.

But those young people can still spread the disease to older people and people with compromised immune systems. That can still be deadly.

You can read the full story here.