Why Young Adults Are Driving the New Coronavirus Spike
Wider testing explains the spike in reported cases among millennials and Generation Z, but so does social-distancing fatigue.
Keeping a distance in Amsterdam.
Photographer: Ramon Van Flymen/AFP via Getty Images
In parts of Europe, new coronavirus cases have been creeping up again. While this is by no means a second wave, and case numbers are still lower than they were before, an interesting demographic pattern has started to emerge.
Whereas elderly populations had the greatest share of new cases early in the crisis, younger age groups are now taking the lead. People aged between 20 and 39 account for about 35% to 40% of new cases in England, Belgium and the Netherlands. In Spain, 15- to 29-year-olds account for more than a fifth of new cases. The charts below illustrate the shift, using the date that bars and pubs reopened in each country as the dividing line for gauging how things evolved as restrictions were lifted.