Masks are returning to at least one major U.S. city as COVID start to climb once again, but what could that mean for Chicago?
Plus, what is the Frankenstein variant and how did it get that name?
Here's what you need to know about the coronavirus pandemic across Illinois today:
What Are Symptoms of ‘Stealth' Omicron or BA.2 as Subvariant Now Dominant Strain
Feeling out of the loop? We'll catch you up on the Chicago news you need to know. Sign up for the weekly Chicago Catch-Up newsletter here.
With the BA.2 omicron subvariant now the dominant strain across Chicago and the U.S., what symptoms should you be watching for?
BA.2, also known as "stealth omicron," is considered a subvariant of omicron, but, according to Chicago's top doctor, the subvariant is now making up at least two-thirds of the city's COVID cases.
Read more here.
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Illinois' Top Doc Discusses Whether State is Considering Return to Mask Mandate
Even as the city of Chicago and the state of Illinois see increases in COVID cases, it doesn’t appear that officials are planning to follow the lead of Philadelphia in bringing back mask mandates to stop the spread of the virus.
Philadelphia health officials announced Monday that the city would re-introduce its indoor mask mandate beginning on April 18 as a result of increasing COVID cases. According to officials, the city is reporting 142 new COVID cases per day, a 69% increase over the start of the month, and as a result officials have moved the city to Tier-2 on a four-tier “COVID Response Levels” plan.
Chicago and the state of Illinois are both seeing similar increases, but according to Dr. Amaal Tokars, the acting director of the state Department of Public Health, a return of the mask mandate isn’t expected any time soon.
Read more here.
What Causes Long COVID-19? Chicago Researchers Are Determined to Find Out
Researchers at University of Illinois Chicago have received $22 million from the federal government to better understand the phenomenon of "long COVID-19," and enrollment of patients for the study has begun.
Area resident John Kazik was one of the first 100 people to sign up. He still experiences major back and joint pain and insomnia on occasion, nearly 19 months after having COVID-19.
Here's Kazik's story and how you can get involved in the study.
‘Stealth Omicron' Cases Continue Rapid Rise in Midwest, CDC Estimates Say
The “stealth omicron” subvariant has only been the dominant strain of COVID in the United States for less than a month, but the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention now believes that it is responsible for more than 80% of new cases of the virus.
According to the latest updated estimates from the CDC, it is believed that the BA.2 subvariant of omicron is responsible for 85.9% of new COVID infections in the United States over the last week.
In the Midwest, the CDC says that 83.7% of cases are believed to be linked to the subvariant. Less than one month ago, the BA.2 subvariant made up less than 15% of cases, according to the department’s estimates.
Read more here.
Illinois Changes Which COVID Metrics It Tracks. Here's What to Look for Now
Illinois has long been documenting and reporting statewide COVID case and test positivity rates throughout the pandemic, but now the state will now be tracking a different set of data.
In what health officials say is an effort to align with new guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Illinois Department of Public Health will no longer track case and test positivity rates.
Instead, the department will now look at these metrics.
Illinois' Top Doc Discusses Whether State is Considering Return to Mask Mandate
Even as the city of Chicago and the state of Illinois see increases in COVID cases, it doesn’t appear that officials are planning to follow the lead of Philadelphia in bringing back mask mandates to stop the spread of the virus.
Philadelphia health officials announced Monday that the city would re-introduce its indoor mask mandate beginning on April 18 as a result of increasing COVID cases. According to officials, the city is reporting 142 new COVID cases per day, a 69% increase over the start of the month, and as a result officials have moved the city to Tier-2 on a four-tier “COVID Response Levels” plan.
Chicago and the state of Illinois are both seeing similar increases, but according to Dr. Amaal Tokars, the acting director of the state Department of Public Health, a return of the mask mandate isn’t expected any time soon.
Read more here.
As Philadelphia Reinstates Mask Mandates, Here's How Their COVID Metrics Compare to Chicago's
While most cities and states are dropping their COVID mitigations, the city of Philadelphia is going in the opposite direction, reinstating its mask mandate as COVID cases have climbed by more than 50% in the last 10 days.
According to the latest data from Philadelphia officials, the city is averaging 142 new cases of COVID per day, an increase of 69% in the last 10 days alone.
“Cases are going up more quickly than the health department feels is safe,” officials said.
Read more here.
How Effective Are COVID Booster Shots? Here's What a Chicago Doctor Says
Anyone who contracted COVID-19 during the omicron variant surge may be wondering if they still have natural immunity.
At Rush University Medical Center, researchers are tracking COVID antibody levels in hope of answering the question. Doctors there have been monitoring levels of approximately 1,100 people since the first COVID vaccines came out in December 2020.
"Researchers have not been able to find a magic number of protection," said Dr. James Moy, an immunologist at Rush.
Read more here.
Why Chicago Expert Says Calling XE the 'Frankenstein' COVID Variant is 'Misleading'
A new hybrid COVID variant known as XE spreading in the United Kingdom is making headlines as a so-called "Frankenstein" variant, but according to one Chicago expert, that nickname is misleading.
The XE variant is a recombinant, meaning it has parts of two different variants rearranged into a new virus, which in this case are BA.1, the original strain of omicron, and BA.2, known as "stealth omicron."
Read more here.
Chicago Health Department Issues Reminder on CDC COVID Exposure Protocols
Chicago's health department issued a reminder to residents on what they should do if they test positive for coronavirus, with cases continuing to rise as the BA.2 omicron subvariant takes hold.
"REMINDER: Regardless of vax status, if you test positive for COVID, you must isolate for 5 days, then you must wear a mask in public for days 6-10," the Chicago Department of Public Health wrote on Facebook Saturday.
Read more here.
CDC Guidelines for COVID Exposure: Here are the Latest Recommendations
As the BA.2 subvariant of omicron circulates across the U.S., residents are seeking out reminders of what to do in the event that they are exposed to someone who tests positive for COVID-19.
Within the past few weeks, BA.2 has driven upward trends in cases, including in the Midwest. In late March, the subvariant became the dominant version of COVID in the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The BA.2 subvariant spreads about 75% faster than the earlier version of omicron, BA.1, according to the latest update from the U.K. Health Security Agency. BA.2 has caused a spike in infections in the U.K. and Germany in recent weeks, though cases started to decline again there.
Read more here.
Illinois Mask Rules: Where You Need to Wear One, Where It's Recommended to Do So
While COVID mitigation strategies have largely been rolled back across the United States, there are still some places where masks are still recommended, or even required.
Masking mandates were eliminated early in the year in most states as case numbers related to the omicron surge began to plummet. In Illinois, that mandate was removed at the end of February, and cases continued to drop through most of March.
Cases have since begun to increase, but officials at multiple levels of government say that they are confident that a “surge” is not forthcoming due to the BA.2 subvariant, and have said that masking requirements are not likely to return any time soon.
Even still, there are still situations in which residents are required to wear facial coverings, and there are four Illinois counties where masks are recommended in adherence to standards set by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Here is what you need to know.
Why Chicago Should Be More Protected Than Other Parts of U.S. Against New COVID Variant: Arwady
Though Chicago is seeing a steady increase in COVID-19 cases amid emerging omicron variants, health officials don't expect a major surge similar to other U.S. cities over the past weeks.
Chicago Department of Public Health Commissioner Dr. Allison Arwady said Thursday that because the city and the Midwest saw bigger spikes in coronavirus cases with the original omicron variant, BA.1, than other cities, more Chicagoans are protected against new strains.
Read more here.
CDC Recommends Masks in Only 19 US Counties, 4 of Them Are in Illinois
Even as the vast majority of the U.S. has made progress in the fight against COVID-19, more than a dozen counties across the country are experiencing troubling metrics, as shown by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data.
Of the nation's 3,006 counties, 123 are listed in the medium community level category, as defined by CDC, and 19 are said to have high community levels, meaning masks are recommended.
But of those 19 counties, four are in Illinois.
Read more here.
Chicago Travel Advisory: COVID Precautions Advised in 4% of US. Here's Where
The Chicago Department of Public Health is urging residents who travel to areas of the country deemed medium or high COVID-19 risk by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to follow precautions, according to a travel advisory update Friday.
CDPH issued recommendations following the latest update to the CDC's county-by-county community levels map, which categorizes 4.4% of counties in the U.S. and Puerto Risk as medium or high risk for COVID.
Read more here.
Masks Recommended in 4 Southern Illinois Counties, According to CDC Metrics
Despite progress in COVID metrics across most of Illinois and the absence of a face covering requirement, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is still recommending masks in some Illinois counties.
The CDC updated its county-by-county community levels map Thursday, showing high levels in four counties across southern Illinois.
Read more here.
NYC Could Hit Medium COIVD Risk Level in Weeks, Arwady Says. Here's What Would Happen If Chicago Follows
In Chicago and across the country, many cities are seeing increases in COVID-19 cases over the last few weeks, which the city's top doctor said could lead to a change in transmissibility levels in some areas.
"New York City, for example, is seeing an increase," Chicago Department of Public Health Commissioner Dr. Allison Arwady said Thursday. "They are also in low, but they are expecting that they may get to that medium risk level possibly in a couple of weeks or so."
Read more here.
COVID Booster Shots: When Could More Be Eligible for 4th Dose? Top Doc Weighs In
Millions of Americans can now receive a second COVID-19 booster shot, but not everyone is eligible. A new decision on eligibility could be coming soon, however.
Chicago's top doctor said the rest of the population may not see authorization for a fourth COVID shot until the fall.
Read more here.
Coronavirus in Illinois: 10K New Cases, 71 Deaths in Last Week as Cases Continue to Climb
Illinois health officials reported 10,786 new COVID-19 cases over the past week, along with 71 additional deaths, marking a small increase in cases following weeks of decline, but a continued decline in deaths.
The previous week, 8,426 the state reported and 87 deaths. The week before that, 8,039 new cases and 109 deaths were reported.
Read more here.
Do At-Home COVID Tests, Including Free Ones From the Government, Expire?
With at-home COVID tests now readily available, some might be saving there's for when they have a need to test, but how long can you actually wait?
According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the tests, including ones sent to Americans for free by the government, can expire.
Read more here.
Chicago COVID Cases Rising, but Spread Remains Low According to City's Top Doc
The city of Chicago is seeing a slight rise in COVID cases, but Dr. Allison Arwady, Commissioner of the Chicago Department of Public Health, said during a press conference on Thursday that there's a key takeaway that she wants Chicagoans to pay attention to.
“We continue to see cases, but overall the outbreak remains in good control,” Arwady announced.
The community spread currently remains low, according to the Chicago Department of Public Health.
As of Thursday, the city of Chicago saw 304 new COVID cases, which is up 28% in the last week.
Read more here.
Airline Mask Mandate: Which Ones Have Dropped the Requirement and Where?
Following their country's respective health and safety guidelines, several international airlines have made changes to their masking policies, letting travelers choose whether they wear one on certain flights.
In the U.S., the Transportation Security Administration extended its masking requirement on public transportation — which encompasses buses, trains, airplanes and transportation facilities — through April 18. It remains unclear if that mandate will extended once again as that deadline approaches.
So while flights in the U.S. will continue requiring masks, whether or not you'll need to wear one on an international flight, however, depends.
Here is a list of airlines that have altered their mask mandates so far.
Why Chicago's Top Doctor Isn't Worried About Emerging COVID Variant XE Just Yet
A new hybrid COVID variant known as XE spreading in the United Kingdom is making plenty of headlines with concerns about its transmissibility, but Chicago's top doctor said she's not concerned about it just yet.
"Mostly, it's been detected in the UK, several hundred cases, but nothing at this point that is clearly showing major concern or spread," Chicago Department of Public Health Commissioner Dr. Allison Arwady said in a statement. "And so it hasn't even been labeled at this point, an official variant of interest."
Arwady noted that while the recombinant variant has been detected in the U.S. already, no cases have been reported in Chicago or Illinois as of Monday.
Read more here.
What is the XE COVID Variant and Where Has it Been Detected So Far?
A new hybrid COVID variant known as XE spreading in the United Kingdom is making headlines, but what exactly is it and why are health officials taking note?
