With nearly 3 million Americans infected with the coronavirus, hospitals are overcrowded, unemployment has spiked, and Covid-19 has made yet another impact on US adults - roughly one-in-five Americans have either relocated or know someone that has.

Of the adults who relocated, about 28 percent say they did to reduce the risk of contracting the virus, according to a study conducted in June by the Pew Research Center. Other reasons for moving were due to campus closings, financial losses or wanting to be with family during quarantine.

Around 9 percent of young adults between the ages of 18 to 29 who participated in the study say they have permanently or temporarily moved due to Covid-19. The data reveals this because “young adults are among the groups most affected by pandemic-related job losses and by the shutdown of college housing,” according to Pew.

“Perhaps our most striking finding is that young adults - those under 30 - are the most likely to move or know someone who moved for reasons related to the coronavirus. About one-in-eleven young adults say they relocated because of the coronavirus,” D’Vera Cohn, a senior writer and editor at Pew, told The National Interest. “When we asked people where they moved, most say they went to a family member’s house, and that’s likely to be especially true for young adults.”

Two Ivy League schools announced the transition to online learning in the fall, with murmurs that other universities are likely to follow, eliminating the option of on-campus housing.

The Department of Labor’s (DOL) April job report showed US unemployment reaching 14.7 percent in April, the worst it’s been since official records began in 1928. This figure slightly declined in the June job report, at 11.1 percent.

Race and ethnicity also play a vital role in the outcome of the study, as white adults hold the smallest percentage of moving due to the pandemic. Hispanic (6%) and Asain (7%) adults have higher percentages of relocating because of the virus.

Other demographics including education revealed that more (28%) adults who relocated or know someone who has relocated have obtained a bachelor’s degree than those who haven’t (18%) due to the virus.

“In general, those with more education and higher incomes are more likely to know a pandemic-related mover,” the study suggested.

With warnings that a second wave of coronavirus is coming, Cohn said it remains unclear if the potential spike in cases will have a deeper impact on US adults relocating.

“There are many unknowns about the way this virus will affect people’s plans to move or stay in place. Much could depend on the extent to which schools and workplaces reopen, or whether a potential wave of evictions that we’ve been hearing about actually happens,” Cohn said.

Twitter: @BucchinoRachel

Rachel Bucchino is a reporter at the National Interest. Her work has appeared in The Washington Post, U.S. News & World Report and The Hill. Twitter: @BucchinoRachel