The total number of new cases of COVID-19 in Evanston for the week ended May 25 was 335, down 20% from the week ended May 19. The number of new cases in the state fell by 18%. Hospitalizations in the state have doubled in the past six weeks.
Evanston, Chicago, Cook County and Illinois are all in the “intermediate” risk community. “At a medium community level, people who are elderly or immunocompromised (at risk of serious consequences) are advised to wear a mask in indoor public spaces. Additionally, they should make sure they keep up to date on their COVID-19 vaccines or get their second booster if they’re eligible,” says the Illinois Department of Public Health.
Researchers estimate that the real number of new cases is about six or seven times the reported number because many people who have tested positive in home tests do not report them.
Long COVID
Researchers are raising concerns about what is being dubbed Long-COVID. Although the term is still poorly defined, it is used to describe a variety of conditions that persist four weeks or more after initial infection with COVID and can occur even if a person has had a mild case of Covid. Symptoms vary from person to person but can include “fatigue, cognitive impairment (or “brain fog”), muscle or joint pain, heart palpitations, trouble sleeping, and mood swings. Long COVID can affect multiple organ systems and cause tissue damage,” said a Science, Technology Assessment and Analytics paper published by the Government Accountability Office.
A recent study published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that 20% of adults ages 18 to 64 who have had COVID had at least one medical condition that could be considered long-term COVID. For people over 65, the percentage is 25%. The study found that the risk of developing any of the health conditions was significantly higher in people who contracted COVID than in those who didn’t.
A large study released May 25 by the Department of Veteran Affairs found that vaccinations reduced the risk of a long COVID by only about 15% six months after an initial diagnosis of COVID. The main benefit of the vaccines was to reduce the risk of lung and blood clot disorders.
Citing these studies, many health experts encourage people to get vaccinated, wear masks, avoid crowded indoor spaces and be cautious.
Trends in new cases in Illinois and Evanston
Illinois: As of May 26, the number of new cases in the state was 6,358, up from 7,555 a week ago.
The seven-day average of new cases in Illinois on May 26 was 5,125 versus 6,273 on May 19, down 18%. An accompanying chart shows the trend.
Evanston: Evanston reported that as of May 25, there were 76 new COVID-19 cases among Evanston residents. (Evanston reports COVID-19 data a day late.)
There were a total of 335 new COVID-19 cases among Evanston residents in the week ended May 25, compared to 420 new cases in the week ended May 19, a 20% decrease.
The seven-day average of new cases was 47.9 for the week ended May 25, compared to 60 for the week ended May 19. An attached chart shows the trend.
One Evanstonian died of COVID-19 in the week ended May 25. The number of deaths from COVID-19 rose to 149.
Cases at D65, ETHS and NU: It appears that the new cases at the schools continue to account for a significant portion of the new cases in Evanston.
School District 65’s COVID-19 Dashboard reports that in the seven days ended May 24, a total of 93 students and 28 staff members tested positive for COVID-19.
ETHS reports on its dashboard that in the seven days ended May 23, 50 students and 13 staff tested positive for COVID-19.
The data does not reflect whether the students and staff at the school contracted the virus.
The latest data reported on NU’s website says there were 326 new COVID-19 cases among faculty, staff or students between May 13 and May 19. If the cases involve an Evanston resident, they are included in Evanston’s data for the appropriate period, Evanston Department of Health director Ike Ogbo told the roundtable. NU will update its data tomorrow.
Cases per 100,000
The weekly number of new cases per 100,000 people in Illinois is 282 in the seven days ended May 26.
On May 25, the weekly number of new cases per 100,000 people in Evanston was 452. On May 26, the number was 290 for Chicago and 328 for Suburban Cook County. An accompanying chart shows the trend.
hospitalizations
Hospital admissions due to COVID-19 have doubled in the past seven weeks. They have increased from 517 on April 6th to 1,130 on May 26th.
The following chart, prepared by the City of Evanston, shows trends in hospitalizations due to COVID-19 at the three closest hospitals serving Evanston residents.
Evanston, Chicago and Suburban Cook, Cook County and Illinois are all in the medium risk category
CDC and IDPH look at the combination of three metrics to determine if a community’s risk for COVID-19 is low, moderate, or high. These are: 1) the total number of new COVID-19 cases per 100,000 population over the last 7 days; 2) the new COVID-19 hospitalizations per 100,000 in the last 7 days; and 3) the percentage of staffed inpatient hospital beds occupied by COVID-19 patients. [1]
The City of Evanston reported tonight, May 26, that Evanston falls in the medium risk category. IDPH reported that Chicago and Cook County fall in the intermediate risk category.
Based on current CDC guidelines, Evanston’s Health and Human Services Department recommends:
- “Wearing a mask indoors to protect those at high risk of serious illness from COVID-19
- “Wearing a mask if you have symptoms, have tested positive or have been exposed to someone with COVID-19
- “Socialize outdoors whenever possible and avoid poorly ventilated indoor spaces
- “Get tested before attending a family or public event. Home tests are ideal for this
- “Contact your doctor immediately to receive treatment for COVID-19 if you are diagnosed
- “Keep up to date on COVID-19 vaccines and boosters
- “Follow CDC recommendations for isolation and quarantine, including testing, if you are exposed to COVID-19 or have symptoms of COVID-19
At all levels, people can wear a mask based on personal preference, informed by personal risk level. Anyone with symptoms, who tests positive, or has been in contact with someone with COVID-19 should wear a mask.
At all levels, people can wear a mask based on personal preference, informed by personal risk level. Anyone with symptoms, who tests positive, or has been in contact with someone with COVID-19 should wear a mask.
FOOTNOTES
1/ CDC recommends using three indicators to measure community COVID-19 levels: 1) new COVID-19 cases per 100,000 population over the past 7 days; 2) new COVID-19 hospitalizations per 100,000 population in the last 7 days; and 3) the percentage of staffed inpatient beds occupied by patients with confirmed COVID-19 (7-day average).
The chart below shows how these indicators combine to determine whether COVID-19 community levels are low, medium, or high. That CDC offers many recommendations depending on whether the COVID-19 community level is low, medium or high.
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/science/science-briefs/indicators-monitoring-community-levels.html
Illinois data
