Despite the number of COVID-19 cases surging in Montgomery County over recent weeks, the number of related deaths is significantly lower than in the spring, writes Tom Avril and John Duchneskie for The Philadelphia Inquirer.

The reason, it seems, is that younger people account for the bulk of new cases, and they are significantly more likely to survive the infection.

From April 5 to May 2, people under age 30 represented 12 percent of cases in Montgomery County, compared to 35 percent from October 1 to November 12.

Meanwhile, for the same period during spring people aged 70 or older represented nearly a third of the total. However in more recent weeks that number has fallen to under ten percent.

But while the total number of cases in both periods remains roughly similar, the number of deaths is far larger in the early peak at 287, compared to 11 fatalities in the more recent period.

Still, Dr. Val Arkoosh, Chair of the Montgomery Board of Commissioners, warns that if younger people transmit the virus to their elders, “we will continue to see an increase in hospitalizations, and eventually an increase in deaths.”

Read more about the cases at The Philadelphia Inquirer by clicking here.