Teenagers are warned to take virus seriously
Ansley Costarene was studying abroad in London when she came down with a sore throat. It started out mild, but soon she couldn’t swallow. Then came the cough, fever, headache and fatigue, followed by a loss in taste and smell.
That’s when Costarene admitted to herself she may have COVID-19. She returned home to Greenwich where she tested positive for the novel coronavirus. Costarene quarantined for two weeks while she recovered. Once it was safe, she began seeing friends again one-onone and from a distance. Then as the state began to reopen, Costarene felt comfortable going to outdoor restaurants on Greenwich Avenue and hung out with friends in small
groups.
But after learning of COVID-19 cases at a restaurant she visited, Costarene dialed back on her socializing.
“I’ve heard cases are starting to spike back up in Greenwich and I know it’s because people have been socializing, whether at house parties or restaurants,” the 21-year-old said. “I really don’t want to get it again.”
In Greenwich, First Selectman Fred Camillo issued a reminder to residents, specifically encouraging young people to wear masks and to practice social distancing, as 13 new cases were reported last week in town.
Camillo’s office said the message was in response to reports of parties being held in town.
Costarene said many young people in Greenwich have been holding parties and going out to eat without wearing masks, including herself until a week ago. Costarene said she’s heard of at least one person who tested positive after attending a local party.
“It’s almost like a bar,” she said. “I can’t speak for every young person in Greenwich, but me and my friends are starting to get nervous again . ... People will put (masks) on for a second and take them off — it’s like a joke. I don’t see it really hitting somebody, how serious it is, until they get it themselves.”
COVID-19 cases among young Connecticut residents are beginning to rise. As of July 1, the total number of Connecticut cases for those between the ages of 10 and 19 was 1,369 since mid-March. As of Wednesday, the number of cases in that age group was 1,563.
Connecticut residents 30 years old and younger are comprising a larger percentage
of new coronavirus cases, according to data released by Gov. Ned Lamont’s office. Earlier this month, Connecticut residents in their 20s represented the most new cases during a seven-day span.
Across the state, COVID-19 cases are cropping up in places known for younger people to gather.
The Country Club of Darien and the nearby Tokeneke Club notified members last week about people associated with the facilities who have tested positive for the coronavirus. The clubs referenced a recent trip taken by a group of young people.
Darien town officials also reported a case out of the YMCA’s summer camp where only staff members were required to wear masks and socially distance.
A spokeswoman for the state Office of Early Childhood said the Darien case is one of two connected with summer camp programs in Connecticut. The other instance was in Burlington outside of Hartford.
In Norwalk, a COVID-19 case was reported out of the city’s in-person summer school program where students and staff are required to wear masks at all times. In June and July, Norwalk has seen a shift with those 30 years old and younger representing 36 percent of the the city’s new cases compared to that age group comprising 18 percent of cases in March.
The recent trends have raised concerns for some about back-to-school plans.
Connecticut school districts had until Friday to submit their plans for three scenarios — full in-person classes, a combination of in-person and distance learning, and fully remote — to the state Department of Education for review. Some of these plans were based on input from parents, who can choose to school their children at home under any of the scenarios.
Lamont has been pushing for schools to fully reopen in the fall, saying it’s important for students, as well as employers who count on parents coming to work. But some say the state may not be ready.
“As kids get together, kids are less likely to wear a mask and socially distance,” said Dr. Michael Parry, chief of infectious diseases at Stamford Hospital. “That’s a setting where we’d be concerned about the rise in the number of cases. That’s the concern with going back to school. There needs to be a structure to ensure going back to school and wearing masks, but that’s not easy to do.”
Darien First Selectman Jayme Stevenson said the YMCA summer camp case was isolated, but it could be indicative of a larger trend that could affect the future of in-person youth activities.
“It raises a concern if anyone who’s sick is exposing other children and people in programs that are just really kicking off,” she said. “We are hoping so much some of these programs can move forward to give people a bit of a sense of normalcy and we want to continue that good forward momentum and make sure those are done in a healthy way, but of course, it concerns me. It’s also reasonable to be concerned if we continue to see spikes, especially in young people. It will give pause to the consideration of inperson school opening.”
Over the last week, Darien reported 10 new confirmed COVID-19 cases, eight of which were residents between the ages of 10 and 19 and one person in their 20s.
And they’re not alone: Danbury Mayor Mark Boughton said his city has averaged a few new cases each day, and though he hadn’t seen the most recent age breakdown data, he also believes cases are climbing for those between the ages of 10 and 19.
“I’ve heard anecdotally of spikes in that age group,” he said. “It doesn’t surprise me.”
Boughton said people are frustrated and not wearing masks or socially distancing. Boughton said he knows it’s difficult, but people need to continue following the guidelines. An increase in cases among younger residents “absolutely” raises concerns about reopening schools in the fall, he said.
“We’re going to be watching it very closely,” Boughton said.
Stevenson said it’s important to realize the disease is now impacting younger people more than originally believed.
“For quite some time, the experts were saying that young people were not contracting the virus and if they were contracting the virus, they weren’t getting bad symptoms,” Stevenson said. “It really led from an early point that kids didn’t have to be concerned from the virus as much as older people and people with underlying conditions but what we’re seeing now as activities resume and parents and kids are traveling a little bit and are maybe not careful to keep distance, they are getting the virus . ... People have generally done a great job. We want to continue that great work so we can keep making forward progress. My feeling is this virus is going to be with us for a while. We have to be vigilant. We can’t let our guards down.”
Staff writers Katrina Koerting and Susan Shultz contributed to this story.