Younger adults not immune, make up a third of COVID-19 cases in Bexar County

Two locals who died of virus were in their 40s

NEW YORK, NY - MARCH 27: A woman wearing a mask and headphones is seen near 7th Avenue as New York City attempts to slow down the spread of coronavirus through social distancing on March 27, 2020. New York has been hit hard by the restrictions in response to the outbreak of COVID-19. (Photo by John Lamparski/Getty Images) (John Lamparski 2020, 2020 John Lamparski)

SAN ANTONIO – While people younger than 40 are at slightly less risk of contracting severe cases of COVID-19, a third of them make up the novel coronavirus cases detected in Bexar County.

As of Tuesday evening, Bexar County reported a total of 207 COVID-19 cases. Data provided by San Antonio Metropolitan Health District shows that 54 of those cases involve people younger than 40, making up 33% of the count.

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While the condition of patients who have COVID-19 in Bexar County has not been released by age by Metro Health, the virus has led to the deaths of two people in Bexar County who are in their 40s. Seven others in Bexar County died after contracting COVID-19. Three of them were in their 50s, one was in their 60s, and three were in their 80s.

Additionally, in Comal County, a 44-year-old man described as “perfectly healthy" by his family died of the virus.

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The statistics show younger adults are not immune from being infected and need to take the pandemic seriously.

“Don’t get the attitude: ‘Well, I’m young. I’m invulnerable,'” Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease, previously said in a news conference.

More concerning, they could spread the disease. According to Fauci, younger people may “inadvertently” spread COVID-19 to more vulnerable populations, like elderly or people with compromised immune systems.

A total of 57 people have been hospitalized in Bexar County, according to city and county officials. As of Tuesday evening, 25 are in the intensive care unit and 17 are currently on a ventilator.

So far, 44 people have recovered from the virus.

Regardless of age, experts have advised residents need to practice social distancing and stay home to help stem the spread of the virus. In San Antonio and Bexar County, a “Stay Home, Work Safe” order has been issued ordering residents to stay home unless it’s for an essential reason.

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COVID-19, the respiratory disease caused by the new virus, stands for coronavirus disease 2019. The disease first appeared in late 2019 in Wuhan, China, but spread around the world in early 2020, causing the World Health Organization to declare a pandemic in March.

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