While COVID cases across Illinois fell in the last week, state health officials are warning that respiratory viruses are "spreading rapidly."
Here's what you need to know about the coronavirus pandemic across Illinois today.
IDPH Warns Respiratory Viruses ‘Spreading Rapidly' Ahead of Holidays
Illinois health officials are warning that respiratory viruses are "spreading rapidly" in the lead-up to the holidays, with RSV, flu and COVID-19 continuing to spread as days shorten and temperatures cool.
“The U.S. is currently facing its highest flu hospitalization rate in a decade, with young children and seniors most at risk," IDPH Director Dr. Sameer Vohra said in a statement. "Vaccines remain our best tools to prevent the worst outcomes from COVID-19 and flu. I strongly recommend all that have not gotten full protection from COVID-19 and the flu to get vaccinated right away. Both the new COVID-19 bivalent booster and the flu shot target the current strains of these viruses.”
Read more here.
COVID-19 Cases Fall in Illinois as Over 1.5 Million Bivalent Booster Shots Have Been Administered Statewide
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Illinois health officials reported 11,020 new COVID-19 cases since Nov. 4, along with 38 additional deaths over the past six days.
Cases and deaths have seen a notable decline over the previous week, which saw 14,225 new COVID-19 cases and 54 additional deaths from the virus.
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Will Illinois Schools Require COVID Vaccines for Students? Pritzker Weighs In
During the lead-up to the 2022 Midterm Election, the contentious race for governor was highlighted by a number of issues. Among them was a question surrounding whether or not COVID vaccines will eventually be mandated for Illinois students.
Gov. J.B. Pritzker addressed the topic Wednesday, one day after he won reelection and secured his second term as governor.
Read more here.
COVID, Flu, RSV: Here Are the Best Masks and Masking Methods for Protection Against the ‘Tripledemic'
As we get deeper into fall season, experts are warning of a potential 'tripledemic' – the circulation of Covid-19, the flu and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), all at the same time.
Infections from the new "Scrabble" variants are increasing, hospitalizations from RSV are skyrocketing at a terrifying pace, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warns that there are early increases of seasonal flu activity.
Read more here.
Do New Covid ‘Scrabble' Variants Make Omicron Boosters Pointless? Here's What Experts Say
If you've received a new omicron-specific Covid booster, you're the most protected you possibly can be against the virus.
But there's a new batch of so-called "Scrabble" variants circulating globally. While omicron's BA.5 subvariant still accounts for nearly 40% of U.S. Covid cases, strains like BQ.1, BQ.1.1 and BA.4.6 are rising each week, according to the latest Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data.
Read more here.
Pfizer Releases More Data Indicating Omicron Boosters Are Better Than Old Covid Shots
Pfizer and BioNTech released more human data Friday indicating the omicron BA.5 boosters perform better than the old Covid shots.
People older than 55 who received the new booster had about four times more antibodies targeting omicron BA.5 than people in the same age group who received the old vaccine, according to the companies. Antibodies are a key part of the body's defense system that block the virus from invading cells.
Read more here.
What to Do If You Test Positive for COVID Right Before a Thanksgiving Or Holiday Gathering
The holiday season is around the corner, and you're probably looking forward to in-person celebrations with loved ones.
And though you might not want to think about it, testing positive for Covid just before one of those gatherings could put a real damper on your holidays.
So, if that happens, what should you do? There's a short answer and a long answer, experts say.
Read more here.
Is Loss of Smell Still a COVID Symptom? Chicago's Top Doctor Weighs In
With each new subvariant of COVID, scientists have said that a loss of a sense of smell has become less and less common, but Chicago’s top doctor says that patients can still experience issues if they contract the virus.
Dr. Allison Arwady, commissioner of the Chicago Department of Public Health, said during an availability Tuesday that loss of smell occurs in less than one-in-five cases involving omicron subvariants of COVID, but warned that it’s still a possible issue that patients could have to deal with.
“It’s not necessarily the most common symptom, but especially if somebody’s never had COVID, you absolutely can lose your sense of smell with omicron, just like you can with all of the other variants that have come before,” she said.
Read more here.
What Are the Side Effects of a COVID and Flu Shot at the Same Time?
While side effects widely vary for each person, some people are wondering if getting both vaccines at the same time makes them more likely to experience certain side effects.
According to Chicago's top doctor Allison Arwady, the side effects experienced likely have to do with your immune system.
For those experiencing more intense, robust side effects that aren't long-lasting, that may be the sign of a robust immune system, according to Arwady.
Additionally, Arwady said that those who have experienced strong side effects for previous vaccines should avoid getting the flu and COVID shots at the same time.
However, those who haven't noticed severe side effects in the past shouldn't have any difficulty getting both of the shots at once.
Read more here.
How to Manage COVID Comfort Levels As Holidays Approach
Now more than ever, people's attitudes toward COVID comfort and risk are changing, experts say. That means it's harder than ever to find two people with the same approach toward the virus, and it's making our relationships harder to manage.
The reason: Many people are now more focused on their own risk than the risk they pose to others, says Virginia Tech epidemiologist Lisa Lee. Someone up-to-date on their COVID vaccines might attend a large party these days, without considering the risk of potentially spreading the virus to high-risk loved ones.
That's a near-complete reversal from the pandemic's beginning, when "we were all afraid and much more willing to do things to protect each other against the new disease," Lee tells CNBC Make It.
Read more here.
As New COVID Variants Emerge at a Faster Pace, Here's What You Need to Know
During a coronavirus update Friday, Chicago's top doctor said that new COVID variants are emerging "more quickly right now," potentially marking a turning point in the pandemic as it enters its third winter.
While none of the recent rapidly-rising subvariants have reached the threshold of "variant of concern," they are being closely monitored as colder weather shifts more activities indoors.
According to CDPH Commissioner Dr. Allison Arwady, all of the rising variants remain under the omicron umbrella.
Read more here.
