coronavirus illinois

Illinois Coronavirus Updates: Cook County Omicron Case, What to Know About New Variant

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Cook County has identified its first case of the omicron variant, marking the second case of the new variant in Illinois so far.

As more is learned about the variant and how it spreads, what has research shown so far? Chicago's top doctor broke down what we know so far.

Here's what you need to know about the coronavirus pandemic across Illinois today:

Chicago Schools Giving COVID Test Kits to Hard-Hit Areas

The Chicago Public Schools will distribute about 150,000 take-home COVID-19 test kits Friday to 309 schools in communities hit hard by the pandemic, the district announced.

“In Chicago, we are in a wicked post-Thanksgiving COVID surge — 929 daily cases on average here in the city of Chicago. As the city goes, so goes CPS,” Dr. Kenneth Fox, CPS’ chief health officer, said at Wednesday’s monthly Chicago Board of Education meeting. “When cases surge in the city, so, too, do they surge at CPS.”

The district reported its highest weekly COVID-19 case count last week: 764 students and 246 adults. The district also reported its highest daily case count on Monday: 223 students and 59 adults. Last month CPS was recording about 300 to 400 total cases a week, the Chicago Tribune reported.

Read more here.

Omicron Severity, Symptoms, Risk of Breakthrough Cases: What We Know So Far

Experts had been saying that more information on the omicron variant was expected in the weeks following its detection.

Now, about a month since the new COVID variant was identified in South Africa and two weeks since it was first recorded in the U.S., what do we know?

Chicago's top doctor said that while we are still learning about the variant and research continues to develop, an early look at the latest data has led to some findings so far.

Here's a breakdown of what we know.

Chicago Department of Public Health Commissioner Dr. Allison Arwady on Tuesday gave a breakdown on which COVID-19 variant is currently leading the surge in the Midwest. While 99.9% of the COVID cases are of delta variant as of now, she predicted that the omicron variant will soon spread quickly based on the studies from other countries.

What We Know About Suburban Cook County's Omicron COVID Case

The first confirmed omicron variant case in suburban Cook County has been reported, but what do we know about the person's symptoms and how they were exposed?

Here's a look at what officials said we know so far about the case.

Chicago, Illinois Mark One Year Since First COVID Vaccine Doses Administered

Wednesday marked one year since the first Chicagoans and Illinoisans received their first doses of the coronavirus vaccine.

It was a scene many remember vividly.

In Chicago, five health care workers sat in a room at Loretto Hospital, receiving the highly-anticipated vaccine in the midst of a pandemic surge just before the Christmas holiday. In Peoria, health care workers received their first doses of the Pfizer vaccine as frontline workers took center stage in the vaccine rollout.

Images of trucks loaded with freezer packs of the COVID-19 vaccine flooded television screens as doses were distributed to hospitals across the country.

Here's a look at what's changed since vaccinations began last year.

CDC Guidelines for COVID Exposure: Timeline, Quarantine, Contagious Period

What should you do if you or someone you have been in close contact with tests positive for coronavirus? How long are you contagious, what are the quarantine guidelines and when can you see people again?

Here's a look at the guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on what to do if you test positive or believe you were exposed to someone who has.

Accuracy of At-Home COVID Tests and More: What to Know for Holiday Gatherings

As many prepare for holiday gatherings, demand for testing has increased, but for those using at-home testing methods, how accurate are they and should you rely on them?

There are a number of at-home options now available and Chicago Department of Public Health Commissioner Dr. Allison Arwady recently advised using them ahead of holiday gatherings.

Here's what you should know.

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