LIVING
Michigan coronavirus surge impacting younger demographic
By Alexandra Hein , Fox News
March 31, 2021 | 4:13pm
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A surge of new coronavirus cases in Michigan is hitting a younger demographic than previous spikes which officials said is likely due to high vaccination rates among those ages 70 and above. At Spectrum Health hospitals, the average age of hospitalized COVID-19 patients is now 60, whereas last fall the average was 73, officials said during a press conference on Tuesday, according to MLive.com.
“In this latest surge we are seeing, it shows the benefits of the COVID-19 vaccine,” Tina Freese, Spectrum Health president and CEO, said, according to WOODTV.com. “People showing up in our hospitals with COVID-19 are significantly younger on average than during the fall surge, and we have yet to care for someone who has been fully vaccinated.”
Last week, health officials in the state noted an “alarming” rise in COVID-19-related hospitalizations among unvaccinated individuals. The first three weeks of March saw a 633% increase in hospitalizations among adults ages 30-39, and an increase of 800% among those ages 40-49.