• 20 to 29-year-olds are the most infected age group in the region, according to data from Santé Montréal.
• They represent 18.2% of the COVID-19 cases in Montreal.
• Visit MTLBlog for more headlines.

New data from public health officials shatters popular misconceptions about the novel coronavirus. According to Santé Montréal, 20 to 29-year-olds are the most infected age group in the city, with 380, or 18.2%, of the total cases in the region as of March 31. 30 to 39-year-olds follow closely behind with 374, 17.9%, of cases.

The numbers decrease in every subsequent age group.

60 to 69-year-olds and 70 to 79-year-olds count 258 and 140 cases, respectively.

Health officials have stated repeatedly that younger age groups have more cases than older age groups.

"The majority of [worldwide] cases are actually in the younger age group," said Dr. Theresa Tam, Canada's Chief Public Health Officer, on March 26. "They're just not getting as sick."

"We need to spread this message to a younger generation so that they don't think it's just an illness that impacts the older age groups or people with chronic underlying illness," she continued.

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO) has also underlined this point.

"Although older people are the hardest hit, younger people are not spared," he said.

"Today, I have a message for young people: you are not invincible. This virus could put you in hospital for weeks, or even kill you."

Young people are further just as capable of infecting other people who may be more vulnerable.

"Even if you don’t get sick," the Director-General warned, "the choices you make about where you go could be the difference between life and death for someone else."

The complete age breakdown of cases in Montreal as of March 31 is below:

[rebelmouse-image 26885902 photo_credit="Sant\u00e9 Montr\u00e9al" expand=1 original_size="1067x527"] Santé Montréal

Nationwide, younger people account for a smaller but still significant share of the total number of infected people: 13% from people aged 20-29 and 16% from people aged 30-39 as of April 1.

Across Canada, the 50-59 age group is the most infected.

As of April 1, Montreal accounts for almost half of the total number of cases in Quebec — 2,097 of the province's 4,611.

Montreal Island has been called a novel coronavirus "hotspot."