NEW HANOVER COUNTY — Young adults aged 18 to 24 have officially surpassed the 25-49 tier age group as having the most identified Covid-19 positive cases in New Hanover County.
The cause of this shift can be partially attributed to the case clusters associated with the University of North Carolina at Wilmington (UNCW) reopening classes and dormitories.
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A total of 398 UNCW students have been identified as Covid-19 positive, according to the university’s dashboard, representing about one-fourth of the county’s total amongst the 18-24 age group, which is about 1,490.
In all, 4,177 people have tested positive in New Hanover County and 29 have died after contracting the virus, according to the county’s latest update Friday. According to the county’s Covid-19 dashboard, there are 3,244 “presumed recoveries.” The health department defines recoveries as “cases that had gone two weeks from a positive test without hospitalization, or 28 days after a positive test if the patient was hospitalized.”
“The increase of cases in our young adult age range is concerning because this group is more likely to experience very mild symptoms or no symptoms at all, increasing the potential to unknowingly carry the virus to someone more vulnerable,” New Hanover County Assistant Health Director Carla Turner said in a press release.
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