The surprising Australian demographic most likely to get coronavirus
Women in their 20s are more likely to contract coronavirus across Australia than any other demographic, federal government data reveals.
This week the national total of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Australia neared 5000, with roughly 10 per cent of those cases women aged between 20 and 29.
Coronavirus live blog: Latest news and updates from Australia
As of Wednesday morning, 497 women in that age category had contracted coronavirus, in comparison to 412 men aged between 20 and 29.
The statistics may come as a surprise to many, with 20 to 29-year-olds recording 174 more cases than 60-69 year olds (745 cases).
Melbourne University professorial fellow John Mathews believes young women’s tendency to go out more is to blame for their high amount of cases.
“It’s the age group where people are most socially active,” he told The Australian.
‘‘And the next age bracket, they are more likely to have kids.’’
Those aged between 20 and 29 are also statistically the biggest travellers, with NSW Health saying overseas travel is the “most significant COVID-19 risk factor”.
The 60-69 year old category also sees an influx in cases due to the number of cruise ship passengers returning to Australia in recent weeks.
When it comes to deaths, the older generations account for far more fatalities than younger ones.
The youngest person to die so far in Australia is 68. On Wednesday, Australia’s 20th death was confirmed when NSW Health advised a 95-year-old woman had died.
Young adults ‘worst offenders’ for ignoring social distancing
In NSW, 270 of 2,182 confirmed cases are in the female 20-29 years group. The amount is 68 more than the second highest demographic (men aged 20 to 29).
On Tuesday, Gladys Berejiklian urged young people to take note of the latest restrictions, stressing people in their 20s were the “worst offenders” when it came to ignoring the new measures.
A cluster of cases in young people has occurred in Bondi – with the popular suburb among others in Waverley that make up Australia’s current epicentre.
NSW Health has moved to set up a testing clinic in Bondi in a bid to curb the spread among its backpacker community.
NSW Chief Health Officer Dr Kerry Chant admitted on Tuesday there was concern over outbreaks among backpackers, many of whom are staying in hostels in the area.
On Wednesday, NSW Police revealed a group of backpackers socialising on a hostel rooftop would not receive any punishment after they were pictured breaching social distancing restrictions.
Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@yahoonews.com.
You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter and download the Yahoo News app from the App Store or Google Play.
