I WONDER | Why do people in their 20s represent a lot of Riley County's COVID-19 cases?

Of the confirmed cases announced through Thursday, 29.8% are aged 18-24. That’s the largest percentage for any age group. The next largest is age 25-34, at 19.1%, in a tie with ages 35-44.

Certainly seems like a high percentage, right? Especially considering that statewide, the 18-24 age group only makes up 10.8% of cases.

But here’s the thing: That age group makes up 31% of the population in Riley County, according to the U.S. Census Bureau’s most recent estimates.

So it’s exactly what you would expect. Pretty much the same thing for the 25-34 age group. They make up 16% of the population, and 19% of the cases.

In fact, the over-represented groups are 35-44, who make up 19.1% of cases but 7% of the population; 45-54, making up 14.9% of cases but only 6.4% of the population; and 55-64, making up 17% of cases but 7% of the population.

Worth noting in all of this that there are 51 cases as of Friday, so the sample size is small enough that it’s hard to draw statistically valid conclusions. Still, to get back to the main point, the virus cases of 20-somethings are not out of line.

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