Numerous states recently began reopening their economies, which could be fueling some of the youth bias, said Natalie Dean, an infectious disease epidemiologist in Florida, where new cases are reaching record levels. People in their 20s and 30s have returned to bars and beaches; Employees of working age have resumed work that cannot be done from home.
“We know it is high risk,” said Dr. Dean. “We are hearing many reports of clusters linked to these locations” as they reopen.
At the same time, older people, as well as those with underlying health conditions believed to exacerbate Covid-19, may be more prone to exposure, said C. Brandon Ogbunu, a computer biologist and disease ecologist at the University. from Yale. “At first, this disease swept away older populations with such aggression,” he said. “It may be where the message was felt most strongly.”
Additionally, nursing homes and other facilities that house vulnerable populations may be working harder to protect their residents, Dr. Dean said. Overall, “we now have a better set of tools to keep our communities safer,” he said. “More people wear masks. We are better at disinfecting things. “
Of course, “young people don’t live in isolation,” said Dr. Bell. They are still mingling with older members of the population, possibly sowing broadcast events that have yet to appear.
Looking to the future
Experts can’t be sure, but behaviors like wearing masks, physical distancing, and hygiene may also be reducing the dose of coronavirus that people find in the general population, Dr. Dean said. The amount of virus that people carry can influence the severity of their symptoms. But so far, there is no evidence that this dynamic is contributing to the lowest death rate in the United States.
There is also no indication that the death rate is lower because the coronavirus itself has become less deadly, Dr. Ogbunu said. Mutation is a normal part of the evolutionary trajectory of any virus, but these genetic changes are often inconsequential.
