For today's Times @Smyth_Chris and I analysed the latest Public Health England figures on coronavirus cases by age group. It revealed that most confirmed cases are now in younger people in an “extraordinary” shift. 1/4

Last week 2,042 cases were confirmed in people in their 20s, more than 10x the number among over-80s. Also:

Two thirds of confirmed infection now in under-40s
A fifth of cases are in the over 50s (3/4 in spring)
The over 80s account for 3% of the total (28% in March)

Speaking to the Times @d_spiegel said the shift was “quite extraordinary”. He said it was “affected by testing availability, but also a shift in who is infected”. He added: “The elderly and frail seem to be far better protected, but they need to be able to get their freedom back”

Mark Woolhouse of the University of Edinburgh, who sits on the government’s SPI-M modelling group, said that “the epidemic is starting to divide” by age. Read our full report including more reaction to the findings here: https://www.thetimes.co.uk/edition/news/virus-shifts-to-young-as-lockdown-fears-ease-0nhvv2dhf