Average Age For New Camden County Coronavirus Cases Drops To 25

CAMDEN COUNTY, NJ — In the last three months, the average age of the Camden County resident who tests positive for the coronavirus has dropped by about 22 years, officials said on Wednesday.

The average age of newly infected Camden County residents is 25 as of Wednesday, according to officials. As of May 31, the average age was 47.

“This is a critical stage of the pandemic, and we need to make it clear that everyone’s actions have consequences,” Camden County Freeholder Director Louis Cappelli Jr. said. “Even if you’re just hanging out with your friends, you could be contributing to the spread of this disease. This is a deceptive and sinister virus. It can be spread between people who never show any symptoms, who never look or act sick, but somewhere down the line it causes catastrophic illness to an innocent person. We need our teens and adolescents to be leaders here and help us protect our community.”

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Since the initial wave of coronavirus infections in the United States, young Americans have increasingly played a role in spreading the disease, officials said. Regionally, residents between 16 and 25 years old represent the fastest growing segment of coronavirus infections. Read more here: Virtua Doctor Who Battled Coronavirus Has Advice For Students

On Wednesday, county officials launched the “Protect Your Circle” health campaign. The campaign is aimed at making sure teens and young adults know the symptoms of the coronavirus, how to stop its spread among close contacts and understand why it is important to avoid becoming infected.

Younger people are urged to use face coverings, follow social distancing guidelines, and get tested as soon as they believe they may be carrying the disease. To get the message out, the county began posting information on youth-focused platforms such as Snapchat and Spotify, as well as other social media (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter).

The county’s website now also provides information on testing, symptoms and how to avoid getting the virus.

The campaign was launched a day after Camden County surpassed 10,000 cases. As of Wednesday, there were 10,030 cases of the coronavirus in Camden County with 568 confirmed deaths. There were just 17 new cases reported on Wednesday.

“Our numbers are lower than they were in the spring, but we cannot let our guard down for even a day if we are going to eradicate this virus from our community,” Cappelli said.“Today we announced a new campaign focused on educating young residents about their role in stopping the spread, but we all still have a role to play in this fight. Keep wearing a mask, social distancing, and working with contact tracers when they call. These actions have led us to this improved position, and they will continue to be critical if we plan to further reduce the spread of COVID-19.”

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