- Nearly 30% of confirmed US coronavirus cases have been among people between 20–44, according to the CDC.
- Additionally, that age group accounted for 20% of hospitalizations and 12% of ICU admissions among US cases, the CDC found.
- While older age groups are still at more risk from COVID-19, the numbers show that lots of younger people are getting sick as well.
- The CDC cautioned that it still doesn't know the ages of many patients, but its findings are similar to what other countries have reported.
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It's not just older people in the US that are contracting the coronavirus — younger people are getting sick as well, according to a recent report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The CDC said it had confirmed 4,226 cases of COVID-19 in the US as of March 16. Of the 2,449 cases in which it knew the patients' ages, 29% were between the ages of 20 and 44.
The report also found that the same age group accounted for 20% of those hospitalized with the disease, as well as 12% of those admitted to intensive care, showing that younger people can develop severe cases, too.
While Americans ages 65 and older are still suffering the highest rates of death and serious illness, the findings suggest that younger age groups are still at risk. The CDC's numbers also suggest, as reports from China have, that children are less susceptible to the disease, though another recent study in China found that some who do get teh coronavirus can develop severe infections.
The CDC's numbers are lower than the actual total of cases in the US, but the early findings about how the disease affects different age groups are consistent with what other countries have seen. Most countries are reporting that death rates are highest among older age groups.
Here are five charts about how COVID-19 is affecting young people in the US.
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