Young adults driving increase in COVID-19 infections, CDC report shows

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- A new CDC report shows young people are driving an increase in COVID-19 infections and it's spreading to older, more vulnerable adults.

Early in the pandemic, coronavirus was hitting older adults, 65 and up most frequently, but that average age is coming down.

The CDC reports the average age of someone infected in May was 46. In August, it was 38. During the summer months, the highest incidence was in 20 to 29-year-olds.

The CDC report shows those infections sparked an increase in the positivity rate for people age 60 and older four to 15 days later.

In Colorado, the city of Boulder has taken drastic steps by banning gatherings of any size for 18 to 22-year-olds.

Meanwhile, as the world approaches one million deaths due to the pandemic, officials with the World Health Organization say that global death toll could double before a vaccine is widely deployed.

"It's certainly unimaginable but it's not not impossible because if we look at losing a million people in nine months and then we just look at the realities of getting vaccine out there in the next nine months, it's a big task for everyone involved," said Dr. Michael Ryan.

He says the real question is whether we are prepared to continue to take precautions and commit to efforts to slow the spread of the virus both individually and governments.