Coronavirus: Women in their 20s at risk due to social lives, travel

Women aged between 20 and 29 are the most infected coronavirus cohort in Australia, fuelled by socialising and travel.

Federal Department of Health statistics show hundreds of young women have been infected by the virus amid concerns about gatherings in locations such as Bondi. Picture: istock

Women aged between 20 and 29 are the most infected coronavirus cohort in Australia, fuelled by their social lives and an increased likelihood of travelling overseas.

Federal Department of Health statistics show hundreds of young women have been infected by the virus amid concerns about gatherings in locations such as Bondi.

The data shows that 452 women aged between 20 and 29 had been infected.

They make up well over half of the 821 cases in that age group, defying any assumptions that young men would lead the way in the data.

The role of young women in the statistics is the standout detail among the notifiable disease data but in the 60-to-64 age bracket there also are a large number of women — 198 — and the total for that age group is high at 377 cases. Australians in their 60s are also known to travel extensively, potentially explaining the high numbers.

Melbourne University professorial fellow John Mathews said a key reason for 20-29-year-old women being represented so strongly in the data may be that they are more socially active.

Dr Mathews said young children grew up with stronger natural defences to diseases like COVID-19.

‘‘As you grow up the innate ­immunity gets lost and that helps explain why older people don’t fight the virus off as easily,’’ he told The Australian. ‘‘And why they’re more likely to get sick from it.

‘‘And, of course, the other factor in the 20-to-29-year-old age group is it’s the age group where people are most socially active.

‘‘And the next age bracket, they are more likely to have kids.’’

Older women, he said, tended to have different imperatives, which would potentially make them less socially active.

 

A NSW Health spokeswoman said in that state the cumulative number of cases in women and men in the 20-to-29 age group was higher than in other age and sex groups.

But she said the data needed to be considered with caution. ‘‘Overseas travel is the most significant COVID-19 risk factor to consider,’’ she said.

‘‘We know that people in the 20-to-29-year age group are more likely to travel overseas than most other age groups, and so we would expect them to be over-repres­ented in our case numbers.

‘‘We do not have specific information to say that people in this age group are more or less likely to follow public health advice than other age groups, but they have been one of our key target groups in our social media messaging.’’

The data showed 14 children aged up to four years with the virus, rising to 84 cases for 15-to-19-year-olds.

The numbers then explode as the next group of young Australians travel and socialise before reaching the child-rearing years.

The death rates for young people are markedly lower than those for old Australians, who are significantly over-represented in the death toll.

This is because as people get older their immune systems work less efficiently and they also develop other conditions such as heart and respiratory problems.

State governments across Australia are aggressively trying to stop young adults from congregating and socialising in large numbers.

Police forces have been bolstered by new decrees to significantly limit public and even private gatherings.

Governments are still considering whether to go into phase four of the lockdown process and will respond depending on whether community transmission of the virus reaches unacceptable levels.