More Chicago-area counties have seen their COVID transmission risk rise under guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Meanwhile, case metrics across the state continue to rise while some other metrics drop.
Here's what you need to know about the coronavirus pandemic across Illinois today:
5 Illinois Counties at Medium Risk of COVID Transmission, but What Does That Mean?
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Cases of COVID are going up across the United States, and the state of Illinois is also showing increases in numerous areas.
According to data from the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention, five counties in the state are currently at a “medium risk” of COVID transmission, with the federal agency making a series of recommendations to residents living in the impacted communities.
So what does a “medium risk” of COVID transmission mean? Which counties are impacted? And what does the data look like in those areas? Here are the details you need to know.
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Updated Chicago Travel Advisory Includes 9% of US Counties
Chicagoans who travel to portions of the U.S. designated as medium or high COVID-19 community levels by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention should take necessary precautions to prevent the spread of COVID, according to the city's travel advisory.
Citing an update to the CDC's county-by-county community levels map, the Chicago Department of Public Health on Friday said 9.7% of U.S. counties were listed at either medium or high community levels.
Read more here.
Suburban Cook County Now in Medium COVID Transmission Risk: Health Officials
Suburban Cook County is now in a "medium" risk level for COVID transmission, according to the area health officials.
The Cook County Department of Public Health issued an alert Friday afternoon saying "an increase in the number of positive cases" lifted the county to the second-highest risk level, as designated by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Though the county was not listed on the CDC's most recent county-by-county transmission risk update, CCDPH said its metrics as of Thursday indicate suburban portions are under the "medium" risk level.
Read more here.
Coronavirus in Illinois: 24K New Cases, 46 Deaths in Last Week as Cases Continue to Climb
Illinois health officials reported 24,646 new COVID-19 cases over the past week, along with 46 additional deaths. That's an increase in cases, but a decrease in deaths from this time last week.
The previous week, the state reported 19,551 new and 58 deaths. The week before that, the state reported 14,049 new cases and 45 deaths were reported.
Read more here.
COVID Vaccines for Kids Under 5: When Could Shots Begin? The Latest Timing
As Moderna took the next step forward toward getting the first COVID vaccination authorized for children under the age of 5, when could parents expect shots to begin?
Frustrated families are waiting impatiently for a chance to protect the nation’s littlest kids as all around them people shed masks and other public health precautions -- even though highly contagious coronavirus mutants continue to spread.
The nation’s 18 million children under 5 are the only age group not yet eligible for vaccination.
While the race is on to get the youngest members of the population vaccinated, which vaccine will work best and when might one be approved?
Cases of Subvariant Descended From ‘Stealth Omicron' Continue to Increase: CDC
A new version of the omicron variant is continuing to spread across the United States, with the Centers for Disease Control estimating that the descendant now accounts for nearly one-third of cases in the country.
According to the latest estimates provided by the department Tuesday, the BA.2.12.1 subvariant accounted for an estimated 28.7% of COVID cases in the United States in the last week.
Read more here.
How Long Are You Contagious With COVID and How Soon Could Symptoms Start? Here's What to Know
If you test positive for coronavirus or were exposed to someone who has, when could symptoms start, how long are you contagious, how long should you quarantine for and when should you get tested?
With COVID cases slowly rising in Illinois and parts of the U.S., local health officials have issued warnings to take precautions, particularly in areas where transmission risk is increasing.
Illinois has seen new cases of the virus increase by more than 40% in the last week.
Read more here.
COVID or Allergies? Here's How to Tell the Difference in Symptoms
With high levels of tree pollen wafting through the air and COVID variants lingering around, it can be difficult to identify the reason behind the runny nose and fatigue.
Before self-diagnosing, health officials have said the best way to identify the ailment is through testing, especially given some symptoms overlap between the coronavirus and seasonal allergies.
So, how can you tell a difference between the two?
Here’s a list of COVID and allergy symptoms as outlined by the CDC.
Is There Any Link Between Severe Hepatitis in Kids, Adenovirus and Coronavirus?
Last week, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention put out a nationwide public health alert to physicians nationwide, asking doctors to be on the look out for unusual cases of severe liver disease in children the infections.
Monday, the Illinois Department of Public Health issued a warning that 3 possible cases of the mysterious disease were reported detected in Illinois -- 2 in suburban Chicago, and 1 in Western Illinois.
While it isn’t entirely clear what’s causing the mysterious illnesses, a leading suspect is in fact the adenovirus.
One avenue of inquiry being explored is that the outbreak may be linked to a surge in common viral infections after COVID-19 restrictions were phased out. Children who weren’t exposed to adenovirus over the last two years may now be getting hit harder when they are exposed to the viruses.
Read more here.
How Soon After Exposure Do COVID Symptoms Start?
As cases of the coronavirus climb in Illinois and across the country due in part to the now-dominant BA.2 omicron subvariant, the risk for being exposed to someone with COVID is also increasing. But when might symptoms first appear following a potential exposure?
Some experts say the omicron variant "sped up" timing for what many once knew with COVID, including the incubation period, or the time between exposure and the start of symptoms. Late last year, guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention surrounding quarantine and isolation were updated to reflect that change.
Read more here.
CDC Guidelines For COVID Exposure: What to Know About Quarantine Times, Symptoms
After you've been exposed to or test positive for COVID-19, how long should you quarantine from others and when could symptoms appear?
As cases, and now deaths and hospitalizations as well, slowly rise in Illinois and parts of the U.S., local health officials have issued warnings to take precautions, particularly in areas where transmission risk is increasing.
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. This guidance was most recently updated at the end of March.
