Since the pandemic started, over half (58%) of the population of the United States has been infected with the new Coronavirus. For children up to 11 years old, the percentage is even higher: about 75% of them have contracted the virus at least once. The figures are part of a survey by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released on April 26th.

It is the first time that a survey of this type shows that over half of the American population has been infected by the virus. According to the study, this shows the impact of the omicron wave in the USA.

Before the arrival of this variant in December 2021, the information was that a third of the country’s population had been infected. Although infections have increased in all age groups, the new data reveals that children and teenagers, the least vaccinated portion of the population, were the most a ected. On the other hand, those over 65 years old, who have already received several doses of vaccine, were the least infected.

Young people

According to the CDC document, the proportion of the US population that was fully immunized by April 2022 increases with age. The vaccination rate is 28% among those aged 5 to 11 years, 59% among those aged 12 to 17 years, 69% for those aged 18 to 49 years, 80% among those aged 50 to 64 years, and 90% among those over 65 years old.

During the period in which cases of omicron increased in the US (from December 2021 to February 2022), 75.2% of children up to 11 years old had antibodies linked to the new Coronavirus in their blood, a sign that they had been infected. This figure was 44.2% for the period between September and December 2021.

Questions

1) Which of the alternatives is true?

a) 75% of people in the US have already been infected with the new Coronavirus.

b) Children and young people have the highest vaccination rate in the country: 80%.

c) The oldest are the most vaccinated and the least infected.

d) The delta variant caused an increase in infections.

2) What are the benefits of being vaccinated against Covid-19?

Sources: US CDC, IstoÉ Dinheiro, and NY Times

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