News Room

As children and college-age adults are preparing to return to school, coronavirus infections and hospitalizations are plaguing much younger North Carolinians compared to earlier in the pandemic. In the past six weeks, 18- to 24-year-olds have been infected at rates higher than any other age group, and children 17 or younger are seeing a surge in cases not seen since the virus’ winter peak. 

New York’s back-to-school season has rapidly descended into a chaotic scramble to finalize COVID-19 precautions under a dark cloud of uncertainty cast by the delta variant surge.

With the Delta variant now dominant across the nation, hospitals are seeing more young and middle age people seeking medical care.  What is driving this phenomenon? 

This August, school will begin for millions of students across the U.S. — on Aug.10 in Atlanta, Aug.16 in Los Angeles and Aug. 23 in Raleigh and Houston. The rise we have seen in cases of COVID-19 from the Delta variant is scary, resulting in hospitals that are overfull in Missouri, Arkansas and many small towns around the country. Unfortunately, it will get worse if school boards and health departments do not take actions now to protect their communities. New research from me and my students at North Carolina State University reflect this.

The delta variant of COVID-19 is spreading at an extremely rapid rate. It is now the dominant strain in the United States – and the world – and the number of infections, hospitalizations and deaths continue to rise. Outbreaks are among the highest in places with low vaccination rates.