Michigan continues to see an increase in novel coronavirus cases, and officials might have figured out where the infections are coming from.
Why is Michigan seeing a COVID-19 spike?
Data from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services show that the rise in COVID-19 cases is coming from children and teenagers, according to CBS News.
- The data say that the average of new COVID-19 cases among children younger than 10 years old spiked by 230% — higher than any other age group.
- Children and young adults from 10 to 19 years old saw a 227% rise in cases, too.
Per CBS News, physicians and experts said “much of the rise in pediatric cases can be linked to the reopening of schools and youth sports.”
Dr. Natasha Bagdasarian, senior public health physician at the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, told CBS News that social gatherings could be creating a spike, too.
- “If everyone is removing their mask and going out to dinner to celebrate a big win then all of those precautions go out the door,” she said. “So really, this seems to have driven this surge.”
More on Michigan’s recent COVID-19 spike
A Michigan public health official said last weekend that Michigan is facing a new influx of COVID-19 cases. This marks one of the first times a state has declared a COVID-19 spike after cases started to dip after the winter, as I wrote for the Deseret News.
Michigan public officials said that cases were jumping due to “more gatherings and more mobility, economic reopenings and specific outbreaks in some prisons and schools,” according to CNN.
Dr. Joneigh Khaldun, Michigan’s chief medical executive, told CNN that cases could jump even more, saying there was “very concerning data” about Michigan’s direction for COVID-19.
- “We’re not out of the woods yet,” she said.