The professor at the University of Lisbon analysed the new cases of infection taking into account five new age groups, which separate children and young people by the different teaching cycles they attend.

The analysis compares the impact on children from 0 to 5 years old (pre-primary), from 6 to 12 years old (attending 1st and 2nd cycles), from 13 to 17 years old (3rd cycle and secondary), from 18 to 24 years old (which includes students in higher education), from 25 to 65 years old (active population) and the age group of people over 66 years old (non-active population).

The mathematician did calculations based on data released last weekend and concluded that "cases" of infections among young people in Portugal have "got worse", according to Lusa News Agency.

The professor at the Faculty of Sciences analysed the number of infected people registered in the last 14 days taking into account the universe of each of the age groups under analysis.

As a result, "young people aged 18 to 24 are the group with the highest incidence of new cases of covid-19", Carlos Antunes told Lusa.

For every 100 thousand inhabitants aged between 18 and 24, there were 1,552 new ones infected between 3 and 17 January.

The specialist recalls that this group brings together students in higher education, but also all other young people who, even though they have stopped studying, are usually the ones who maintain a more intense social life.

The analysis also shows that young people from 13 to 17 years old became the third age group with the highest accumulated incidence in the last 14 days.

"These two groups (13 to 17 years old and 18 to 24 years old) were the ones that most saw the incidence increase since the beginning of the year", warned the mathematician in declarations to Lusa, based on data updated on 17 January.

Until 13 January, youths between 13 and 17 years old were the fourth group with the highest incidence of cases, recalled Carlos Antunes.