COVID-19 risks increase with age, but still exist in children and younger adults, state health officials warn.
Children and teenagers have fueled much of the growth this summer in the COVID-19 pandemic, which as of Tuesday had reached 1,666 deaths among all age groups in Minnesota and 61,839 confirmed infections with the coronavirus that causes the infectious disease.
The total number of confirmed infections has increased 12% since Aug. 1 — when including 332 infections reported Tuesday — but has increased 18% among youth age 6 to 19, according to the latest data from the Minnesota Department of Health.
The 20 to 29 age group still has the highest total number of confirmed infections in Minnesota — at 14,447 — but the rate of case growth in this population has slowed in August. State health officials had traced outbreaks in this population to virus transmission at bars, which reopened at limited capacities on June 10. Continue reading.