Chicago is expected to soon enter a “high” alert under guidelines set by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, but what does that mean for Memorial Day weekend?
The rising readings and alert levels come as there is a new dominant strain in the US, according to CDC estimates.
Here’s what you need to know about the coronavirus pandemic across Illinois today:
Chicago would not immediately reintroduce the mask mandate should the region find itself at “high” risk of COVID, officials say
Though Cook County could get to levels of high COVID-19 transmission by the end of the week, Chicago health officials say a mask mandate would not return immediately.
The Chicago Department of Public Health said the additional mandates would not be reinstated because serious consequences of coronavirus infection are “relatively rare” and the burden on hospitals remains “low”.
Read more here.
What Happens When a County Reaches the High COVID Alert Level?
As more Illinois counties reach elevated community COVID-19 levels, what might happen if an area is placed on “high” alert?
In the event that a county reaches a “high community level” of COVID, residents are advised to wear masks indoors regardless of coronavirus vaccination status, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Read more here.
New omicron subvariant now dominant COVID-19 strain in the United States: CDC estimates
According to the latest estimates from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a new subvariant of Omicron is now the dominant strain of COVID-19 in the United States.
According to this data, subvariant BA.2.12.1, one of several variants of Omicron that have led to a spike in COVID infections in the United States over the past few weeks, now accounts for nearly 58% of new cases over the past week responsible.
Read more here.
Chicago is likely to enter “high” alert as early as Friday, says Top Doc
As COVID cases continue to rise across much of the US and Illinois, Chicago’s top doctor said the city could reach a “high” alert level by the end of the week.
“I expect Cook County, which includes Chicago, to rise too high with the update [from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention] later this week,” said Dr. Chicago Department of Public Health Commissioner Allison Arwady in a Facebook Live Tuesday.
Read more here.
New study finds most long-distance COVID drivers suffer from neurological symptoms and reduced quality of life long after infection
A new study from Northwestern Medicine shows that many so-called COVID “long-distance drivers” continue to experience symptoms such as brain fog, tingling, headache, dizziness, blurred vision, tinnitus and fatigue for an average of 15 months after the virus broke out. according to a press release on Tuesday.
“Long-distance drivers” are defined as people who have had COVID symptoms for six weeks or more, according to the hospital system.
According to Igor Koralnik, MD, chief of the Division of Neuroinfectious Diseases and Global Neurology at Northwestern Medicine, “The study reports the world’s longest follow-up of neurological symptoms affecting non-hospitalized patients with long-term COVID.”
Read more here.
New Omicron subvariant: symptoms, how fast it spreads, and more
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention updates its estimates of which subvariants are causing cases of coronavirus in the United States every week, and a new version of omicron could rise to the top of that list this week.
According to last week’s data, omicron subvariant BA.2.12.1 accounted for an estimated 47.5% of COVID cases in the United States.
What exactly is this new subvariant? Is it spreading faster than previous iterations of the virus? And does it cause more serious diseases? Here’s what we know so far.
How many children are vaccinated against COVID in Illinois? Here are the dates
How many children are already vaccinated against the virus as booster shots for children are approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and COVID cases are rising across the country and in the state of Illinois?
The Illinois Department of Public Health has been tracking metrics across the state.
On Friday, data showed that over 60% of Illinois children between the ages of 12 and 17 are fully vaccinated, while only 36% of children between the ages of 5 and 11 have completed a vaccination course.
View a full county breakdown for the Chicago area.
Illinois is ending contact-tracing calls for COVID patients and sending text messages instead
The Illinois Department of Public Health says it will no longer perform contact tracing via phone calls on people who test positive for COVID-19 and will instead use automatic case notifications via SMS text message starting next month.
As of June 1, IDPH officials say they will stop making calls to people who have tested positive for COVID-19 and that the contact-tracing call center set up during the pandemic will cease operations.
Read more here.
Illinois COVID stats: Slight drop in metrics after periods of increase
A week after Illinois’ COVID-19 cases averaged more than 6,000 for the first time in three months, the state has paused the upward trend — reporting both a slight drop in case numbers and hospitalizations.
However, the metrics still remain substantially higher than they were a few months ago, according to newly released data from the Illinois Department of Public Health.
Read more here.
USPS COVID test kit: How to get your test kit in the mail
You can sign up now to receive 8 free rapid home antigen COVID tests in the mail, the federal government recently announced.
In previous rounds of test distribution, residents could only claim up to four at-home COVID test kits per household.
Test kits are shipped free to homes, according to the United States Postal Service. These tests come in two separate packages, with four test kits in each package, the USPS says.
Here’s how to sign up and have your email delivered to your home.
Illinois COVID Tests: Where to Find Free Rapid PCR COVID Tests Near You
COVID cases and hospitalizations continue to rise in Illinois, with the state now averaging more than 6,000 new probable and confirmed COVID-19 cases per day.
It’s the first time the daily rate in Illinois has been this high in more than three months.
The good news is that COVID testing in Chicago and Illinois is still free in many locations. And the federal government is now offering residents twice the number of free rapid COVID antigen tests during its latest round of kit availability, according to an update from the United States Postal Service.
If you have symptoms or think you’ve been exposed, find free COVID testing near you in Chicago and Illinois for adults and children here.
How long after infection can you test positive for COVID?
If you test positive for COVID, how long could that be?
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, some people who contract COVID-19 can have detectable virus for up to three months, but that doesn’t mean they’re contagious.
However, when it comes to testing, the PCR tests are more likely to continue picking up the virus after infection.
Read more here.
When are you contagious with COVID and how long should you quarantine?
COVID-19 cases have been rising across Chicago, and the city’s top doctor said the trend is likely to continue in the coming weeks, prompting questions from concerned residents.
dr Chicago Department of Health commissioner Allison Arwady says the city’s positivity rate has jumped to nearly 5% in recent weeks, and she expects the metrics to continue rising in the coming days.
Read more here.
Low, Medium, High: What CDC Community Tiers Mean and What Each Requires
What does this mean for you given that almost every county in the Chicago area has reached “intermediate community level” for COVID-19 and one suburb of Chicago has reached “high” transmission levels according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines?
So what does that mean and what does it take to get to each level?
Here’s a look at the guidelines.
Tested positive for COVID and looking for treatment options? Here’s what you should know about Pfizer’s antiviral pill
With more tests positive for the coronavirus across the Chicago area, many questions are turning to how the new COVID-19 antiviral pill is treating the virus.
Pfizer’s Paxlovid pill has recently been used in several high-profile cases, including Vice President Kamala Harris.
However, as more doctors prescribe Pfizer’s powerful COVID pill, new questions about its performance are emerging, including why a small number of patients appear to relapse after taking the drug.
Here’s what we know so far.
COVID incubation period: how long should you quarantine and when are you contagious?
COVID-19 cases have been rising across Chicago, and the city’s top doctor said the trend is likely to continue in the coming weeks, prompting questions from concerned residents.
dr Chicago Department of Health commissioner Allison Arwady says the city’s positivity rate has jumped to nearly 5% in recent weeks, and she expects the metrics to continue rising in the coming days.
“In this wave … we’re probably going to have more cases before we see it turn around,” she said. “And the last thing we want to do is for people to actually see that the number of hospital admissions is going up significantly.”
For those contracting COVID, there may be lingering questions. Here is the latest information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
2022 CDC COVID Guidelines: Symptoms to Watch, Duration of Quarantine, and More
As new, more contagious variants of COVID-19 spread across the United States and most of the Chicago area, rising to higher alert levels, many are wondering what to do if they experience symptoms or test positive for the virus.
If you’ve been exposed, when might symptoms appear, how long are you contagious, how long should you quarantine, and when is the best time to test?
Read more here.
