Average age of US coronavirus patient drops by 15

The average age of a coronavirus patient in the US has dropped by around 15 years compared to the early stages of the pandemic, according to Dr Anthony Fauci, the director of the US National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases.

Reports from states where virus cases are surging - such as California, Arizona, Florida and Texas - confirm Dr Fauci's statement, as most new cases are young people who have flouted social distancing guidelines or have essential jobs that require them to be on the frontlines.

“The average age of people getting infected now is a decade and a half younger than it was a few months ago, particularly when New York and New Orleans and Chicago were getting hit very badly,” Dr Fauci said in an interview on Monday.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said on Monday that the median age for a patient needing hospitalisation in the state is now 33 years old. Most patients being diagnosed in March and April were in their 50s and 60s, he said.

Officials at the University of California, Berkeley, say social events thrown by fraternities and sororities have contributed to a spike in coronavirus infections among the student population.

In a statement, the university said 47 students had tested positive over the last week, bringing the total to 70 since the pandemic began.