"More than 100 students living in fraternity houses near the University of Washington campus have reported testing positive for COVID-19, with hundreds of results pending. The Interfraternity Council, a student-led governing board for UW fraternities, said that at least 105 residents living in 15 fraternity houses have self-reported that they tested positive, CBS affiliate KIRO-TV reports.
The university learned Saturday that some fraternity residents had symptoms of COVID-19, and public health officials noticed a spike in cases among people ages 18 to 20, according to university spokeswoman Michelle Ma.
Ma said more than 800 students have been tested since Monday in response to the Greek system outbreak. The university expects to have an updated case count early next week. The Interfraternity Council has asked fraternity houses to stop holding social events, Ma said." …
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/coronavirus-university-of-washington-frat-houses-outbreak/
I think this will happen a lot. And if the numbers of cases continues to increase and the amount of hospital admissions and resulting fatalities as a percentage continues to trend in a meaningful way in the other direction - that’s perhaps a very good thing in thing in the long run. It maybe the thread virus is mutating as suggested. More contagious and less virulent. The best scenario in lieu of a vaccine, which would be the best news of course.
The amount of cases seems to have replaced the hospital capacity and IFR figures that were the daily requirement just a few weeks ago. It’s a bit odd.
And exactly zero will die… or even notice that they have it.
Mortality and the risk of complications are higher among the old. So a spike in a group of 18-20 year olds getting it is obviously going to have lower hospitalisation and death rates than in a group of seniors.
In the end this is probably a positive thing. In a week or two most of these cases will be over and give and then these people will have whatever immunity is imparted this making it harder for the virus to infect in these areas.
Death is not the only bad thing that can happen to someone! I know people in their 20s and 30s who have gotten covid-19 - some were asymptomatic, and some got seriously ill. At least one had to be hospitalized. Reports have emerged of people under 40 having aftereffects of the virus - damaged lungs, labored breathing, difficulty moving. It’s only been about 6 months since the beginning of the outbreak and we have no idea whether this disease has long-term effects on younger people.
That’s without even mentioning that asymptomatic or mild cases can still transmit the virus to others - people who may be older, immunocompromised, or simply have a body chemistry or other underlying health conditions (some they may not even know about yet) that means they’ll have a more severe case. I’m 33. I also have asthma. I do not want to get covid-19. My mother is in her 50s and is immunocompromised. I don’t want her to get covid-19 and die from a random encounter with an asymptomatic carrier.
We also do not know what level of immunity having the disease confers. Scientists are still working on this, but recent evidence shows that antibodies are robust for a few weeks and then die down (https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-020-01989-z).
Also, young people do die from covid-19. (https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2020/04/08/young-people-coronavirus-deaths/)
So no, a spike in coronavirus infection is not a positive thing.