Recent coronavirus cases doubled among young adults, CDC says

FILE - Students walk through the campus of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill on August 18, 2020 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.

From early August into September, weekly coronavirus cases among those aged 18 to 22 jumped by 55% nationwide, with the Northeast seeing the largest increase, according to a report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The health agency said it was likely that the increase was tied to resumption of "in-person attendance" at some colleges and universities.

When the CDC looked at race and ethnicity data, it found that weekly virus incidence among White young adults jumped by 150% in the same time frame (48 cases per 100,000 to 120 per 100,000). "At the same time, incidence among persons of other racial and ethnic minority groups remained stable or declined."

The CDC noted that “approximately 45% of persons aged 18–22 years attend colleges and universities and 55% of those attending identified as White persons.”

About 71% of people aged 18 to 22 live with a parent, around 50% attend college and one-third of college students live with a parent. The health agency said younger adults tend to flout preventative measures more so than other age groups, which puts their close contacts at higher risk.

The CDC received case report data for nearly 1 million people, 16% of which were aged 18 to 22. Virus incidence soared by 144% in the Northeast, which saw a 171% increase in weekly testing volume.