CHARLOTTE, N.C. – A surprising number of young people are getting the coronavirus.

According to the latest numbers from the CDC, among 508 patients known to have been hospitalized, 38 percent were under the age of 55.

The average age in North Carolina is 41, according to the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services.

In Wake County, 88 percent of people with coronavirus are under the age of 65.

In Union County, 78 percent of people are under 60.

In Harnett County, the average age is 40.

In Mecklenburg County, 82 percent are under 60.

"Our younger folks are very social, and unfortunately that's where we are seeing a lot of our cases," Mecklenburg County Health Director Gibbie Harris says.

It's why she says people must practice social distancing.

Despite older people making up the majority of coronavirus deaths, Duke University's Dr. Marc McClellan says it's a major concern.

"A lot of younger people have milder symptoms, or no symptoms at all, and are still spreading [the] virus. That can mean a lot of spread," McClellan says.