KYW Newsradio's Medical Reports are sponsored by Independence Blue Cross.
By Dr. Brian McDonough, Medical Editor
PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Young people are testing positive for COVID-19 at record numbers.
We are hitting record numbers of cases, but the fact that younger people are now getting infected, but not dying, is a factor in bringing the death rate down.
This might seem like somewhat good news on the surface, but it's important to consider that younger people are more mobile.
For example, college kids are going back to school, getting infected and then infecting people in the community.
While the death rate is lower, between 25% and 35% of COVID-19 patients have lingering symptoms such as fatigue, shortness of breath, muscle aches, sleep disturbances and "brain fog."
We are also learning that lingering symptoms last much longer than those from other viral syndromes like influenza.
It's also frightening to factor what we do not know: the long-term health impact of being infected.
