COVID-19 infection rates continue to fall for Evanston’s oldest residents but are increasing among young people.
This is the conclusion of a RoundTable analysis of demographic data released by the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH). COVID-19 positive test rates were stable at 1.5% for Evanston in the four-week period ending Sept. 14.
Positive test rates for Evanstonians over 80 years old fell to 0.7% in that period from 1.0% in the four weeks ending Aug. 17. Infection rates for residents age 70 to 79 decreased to 0.5% from 1.2%. Older residents were disproportionately affected by the pandemic in the spring and early summer as COVID-19 spread undetected in assisted living and long-term care settings.
Young people are now the most vulnerable group to COVID-19 infection. Positive test rates for young adults and children under the age of 20 increased to 3.5% in the four-week period ending Sept. 14 from 2.0% in the prior four week period. Rates for adults age 20 to 29 increased slightly, to 2.4% from 1.9%.
These two youngest age groups represented half of new cases in the recent four-week period, higher than their share of Evanston’s population. Residents over the age of 40 and under 60 represented about 40% of new cases, proportionate to their population in Evanston.
Infection rates among Hispanic residents dropped sharply in that same four-week period, to 3.5% from almost 9% in the prior four-week period ending Aug. 17. Infection rates quadrupled to 4.3% among Asian residents and increased to 2.1% from 1.5% among white residents.
Infection rates fell among Black residents, to 3.4% from 5%. Despite this decline, Black residents are still disproportionally impacted by COVID-19.
