Coping with COVID: Younger age groups continue testing positive, raises concern for health officials

Majority of new confirmed cases continue to come from young adults, and health officials urge the seriousness of COVID-19 even among younger age groups.

Similar to prior weeks, new cases of COVID-19 are on the rise despite death tolls showing a downward trend. The new cases, however, have raised concern for health officials.

“Transmission is very high,” Johnson County Health and Environment Director, Dr. Sanmi Areola, said.

In Missouri and Kansas, new cases have shown to come primarily from ages 20-34 , according to data released by each state’s health department website.

“The infections appear to be increasing in younger people,” Areola said. “20 to 29-year-old group, 30 to 39 and this week we started to see [confirmed cases] even in the younger population of teenagers.”

The numbers trouble health officials because, according to Areola, many young people believe the virus is only harmful to those who are older.

“Even though we don’t see more deaths and serious consequences in the younger population, they do occur,” Areola said. “We want them to know they do occur.”