DETROIT – Coronavirus cases are increasing in nearly every state in the United States and new research by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggests young adults may be the sparks in new viral hotspots.
White House Coronavirus Task Force coordinator Dr. Deborah Birx said the amount of asymptomatic spread is large.
“When you start to look at this college data, it may be up to 80% of individuals under 30 are asymptomatic," Birx said. "And we’re still getting the data from all of the colleges.”
The CDC said understanding and tracking positive test rates by age group could help public health officials identify future hotspots and better prevent and prepare for a rise in COVID-19 cases.
Birx added it’s also important to identify those who are asymptomatic.
“The way you find that is the way the universities are finding it -- regular testing," Birx said. "If you wait until people have symptoms, you’ve waited too long because there’s so much asymptomatic spread before that.”
As temperatures get cooler, health officials are reminding everyone to keep wearing masks, social distancing and washing their hands.
- View more: Michigan COVID-19 data