More than a quarter of all new COVID-19 cases diagnosed in Lake and DuPage counties so far this month involve residents under the age of 20.
In suburban Cook, Kane, McHenry and Will counties, people under 20 make up more than 20% of new cases.
That’s according to a Daily Herald analysis of the Illinois Department of Public Health’s COVID-19 infection data, which shows that children and teens make up a higher proportion of new suburban cases than ever before.
The actual number of COVID-19 infections in suburban children and teens is decreasing every month, but it doesn’t happen as quickly as in other age groups. Statewide, the number of COVID-19 cases in people under 20 averaged 344 per day in March, up from 1,166 per day in December.
Health experts believe there are several reasons for a shift in the number of people infected today.
“Many adults are vaccinated, which adds to adult rates,” said Dr. Sana Ahmed, an epidemiologist with the Lake County Health Department. “We are seeing an increase in the number of participants under the age of 20 participating in extracurricular activities and social gatherings outside of school. contribute to the increase. “
@DHJakeGriffin has the latter checked out #COVID-19 fallen rates in the suburbs and young people found (people under 20) make up a larger proportion of them. https://t.co/SS05k2jwir pic.twitter.com/zgsdF29MHA
– Daily Herald (@dailyherald) March 20, 2021
Through Thursday, 27.4% of all new Lake County cases in March were diagnosed in those under the age of 20. In December, only 17.5% of new cases were in that age group.
IDPH figures show that 25.2% of all new cases of COVID-19 in DuPage County this month are in that youngest age group. The percentage has risen steadily every month from 16.4% in December.
“The DuPage County Health Department has been closely monitoring the positivity rate in DuPage County and we have noted a recent increase in COVID-19 case activity in our (younger) population,” said Karen Ayala, director of the agency. “We do not believe there is one single factor leading to this increase. The increase may be related to more elements in the opening of our communities and people who are not as vigilant as before about keeping their distance. wearing a mask and avoiding crowded areas. “
In the suburbs of Cook County, 21.3% of new cases this month were under 20. The rate is 23.5% in Kane County and 21.6% in McHenry County. All three see a higher number of new cases among children and teens in March than in the three previous months.
Will County’s rate is 20%. While that is slightly lower than the 20.5% rate in February, it is still five percentage points higher than the December rate for that age group.
However, 4.9% of all COVID-19 tests given to youngsters in Will County in the past week have resulted in the diagnosis of a new case. No other age group in the province has a positivity rate greater than 3%.
The number of cases among elderly residents has decreased as vaccination increases. While the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine is approved for people 16 and older and the Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines are approved for ages 18 and older, the suitability for suburban vaccines has not extended to most teens .
Statewide, the seven-day positivity rate for people under 20 as of Thursday was 3.2%. No other age group in the IDPH data exceeds 3%. In October, those under 20 in Illinois enjoyed a better rate of positivity than any other age group, except for those between the ages of 20 and 29 and anyone 80 or older.
“The cases in Lake County are leveling off,” Ahmed said. “However, children are becoming more active and there are more opportunities to socialize.”
Case positivity shows the percentage of new cases diagnosed in a series of test results. A seven-day average is used to account for any anomalies in daily case and test reporting.
While the effects of COVID-19 have typically not been severe in younger people, health experts fear that asymptomatic youths may still unknowingly spread the virus to others who may be more vulnerable.
“There is always concern, but we do our utmost to vaccinate the most vulnerable adults,” said Ahmed. “We have managed to vaccinate people in risk groups, such as those who work, live or work in long-term care facilities and our population of 65 and older.”