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Ages of COVID-19 infected lowering

The delta variant of COVID-19 is affecting more and more young people as it becomes the dominant strain of the virus in this newest nationwide surge, and the Hi-Line seems to be no exception.

While data from the state suggests that Liberty and Chouteau counties have a more even spread of cases in terms of age ranges, Hill and Blaine counties have seen a considerable number of new COVID-19 cases in young people these past few weeks.

From Aug. 9 to Aug. 22 Hill County identified 91 new cases of COVID-19. More than half of them were in people between the ages of zero and 29.

Among these age groups, the one with the most people was the 10- to 19-range with 21 cases, followed shortly by people in their 20s with 19 cases, but seven cases were also found in people between the ages of zero and nine.

While young people are generally in less danger of having severe symptoms if they contract COVID-19, data on the delta variant suggests it may be more dangerous to young people than the original strain on top of being at least twice as contagious.

Already, the area is seeing cases of COVID-19 in school systems with Havre Public Schools announcing Thursday it saw another two cases associated with the district that day.

Chester-Joplin-Inverness Public Schools had to postpone their first day of school because of COVID-19.

Hill County has also seen 11 breakthrough cases in the past two weeks, and while those who've gotten the vaccine are far less likely to get the disease, have severe symptoms, or spread it, they still make up more 12 percent of the county's cases and are not immune from danger.

Health officials local, state and federal continue to advocate for vaccination, saying the more people who get vaccinated the less spread will be seen, the less chance of more variants coming into existence, and the safer everyone will be.

Hill County Public Health Director Kim Berg, also the county's health officer, has repeatedly cautioned that the situation in Hill County is still serious and this rise in cases is likely to get worse in the near future if people don't get vaccinated.

The threshold for herd immunity for COVID-19 is somewhere between 75 and 90 percent of residents vaccinated, and Hill County has hovered around 50 percent for months.

While Blaine County hasn't seen the level of spread that Hill County has in the past few weeks, data from the state shows their cases trending younger as well with only 20 percent of cases between Aug. 12 and Aug. 20 coming from people 50 or older based on data from the state.

While Blaine County hasn't seen nearly as many cases in teens and children, most of the cases reflected in the state's numbers are between the age of 20 and 39.

Berg said Hill County has had a recent problem with many of its cases not appearing in state counts.

She said it appears to be the result of a technical issue, but the numbers seem to be lining up more closely now, and the problem will hopefully be worked out in the next few days, but the most accurate numbers will be coming from her department.

She said she hasn't heard of this issue has been seen in other counties, and Blaine County Public Health Nurse Jana McPherson-Hauer had not responded to inquires on the subject by print deadline this morning.

 

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