Montco COVID Cases Increase For The Young, Decrease For The Older

NORRISTOWN, PA — Coronavirus cases in Montgomery County have continued to follow a similar pattern for some time period now, officials note: cases are on the rise amid the younger demographics, and on the decline in older residents.

Health officials note that the numbers indicate both successes and failures in the ongoing efforts to curb the spread of the virus.

"This chart (showing the ages of residents who tested positive) tells the story that our long term care facilities have done just a phenomonal job of protecting our seniors over the last few months," Montgomery County Commissioner Val Arkoosh said. "But on the other hand, we've seen more and more social gatherings taking place, kids returning to college and not taking precautions on their campus."

The trends are a reversal of the early story of the virus, which spread rapidly in contained communities like senior facilities, while the general public quarantined at home and numbers went down. That put a disproportionate number of cases in the senior demographics, and was a result not of behavior but circumstance.

But the rise in cases among younger groups, officials say, is happening out in the community and is due to behaviors that can be avoided.

All age brackets 34 and under have seen an increased share of cases since June 1, according to county statistics. One of the biggest shares of cases is in the 25 to 34-year-old age bracket, which has 13.86 percent of all cases in the county as of Sept. 16.

Meanwhile, 75 to 84-year-olds have decreased from 10.3 percent on May 1 to 7.82 percent on Sept. 16.

"This is similar to what other parts of the country are seeing," Arkoosh said.

Indeed, state officials in Pennsylvania have noted similar trends, pointing to recent spikes in 19 to 24-year-olds, specifically. In southeastern Pennsylvania as a whole, 19 to 24-year-olds made up five percent of cases in April. They comprised 18 percent at the end of August.

Here's a look at how each bracket breaks down in the county, from May 1 to Sept. 16:

• Under 5 years: 0.5 in May, 0.8 in September
• 5 to 9: 0.4 in May, 0.8 in September
• 10 to 14: 0.5 in May, 1.57 in September
• 15 to 19: 1.7 in May, 6.3 in September
• 20 to 24: 4.6 in May, 8.6 in September
• 25 to 34: 12.7 in May, 13.8 in September
• 35 to 44: 13.0 in May, 12.9 in September
• 45 to 54: 15.1 in May, 14.0 in September
• 55 to 59: 8.5 in May, 7.1 in September
• 60 to 64: 7.8 in May, 6.5 in September
• 65 to 74: 12.5 in May, 9.7 in September
• 75 to 84: 10.3 in May, 7.8 in September
• 85 and up: 11.9 in May, 9.5 in September

As a whole, the county's numbers remain elevated from where they were a month ago, officials said during a Wednesday news briefing. However overall percent positivity rating on tests is virtually unchanged (3.18 percent) and this past week saw slightly fewer cases than the week previous: 292 this week, compared to 273 the week prior.