coronavirus variants

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.

Illinois saw an “uptick” in COVID cases within the last week, the state’s health department said Friday.

Chicago Department of Public Health Commissioner Dr. Allison Arwady delivered a COVID-19 update ahead of Halloween and the holiday season. Sandra Torres reports.

New COVID variants are emerging “more quickly right now,” Chicago’s top doctor said during a coronavirus update Friday, and that could signal a shift heading into colder months.

As new COVID variants emerge, such as XBB and BQ.1 and BQ.1.1, they’re also generating new names like the “nightmare variant” or “scrabble variants.” But what does that mean and how worried should you actually be?

The BA.5 subvariant of COVID-19 remains the dominant strain in the United States this week, but several other new forms of the virus are gaining ground, and physicians warn that some treatments against the illness may not be effective against them.

While the BQ.1 and BQ.1.1 COVID subvariants have gained traction across the U.S. in recent days, another new strain is responsible for a surge in cases in Singapore.

A look back at the top news headlines for this week in news with Kate Chappell.

A COVID subvariant that has shown an ability to better evade a patient’s immunity against the virus is now responsible for nearly 80% of cases reported in the United States this week, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

A look back at the top news headlines for this week in news with JC Navarrete.

From omicron to BA.2 to BA.5 to BA.2.75, the list of COVID variants and subvariants continues to grow, but with newer versions out-competing others, which ones are still around and spreading in the U.S.?

From omicron to BA.2 to BA.5 to BA.2.75, the list of COVID variants and subvariants continues to grow, but with newer versions outcompeting others, which ones are still around and spreading in the U.S.?

The omicron variant of the COVID-19 virus has been driving coronavirus infections for more than eight months, but the number of subvariants of that strain can be a dizzying list to navigate through.

The fastest-spreading COVID-19 subvariants yet, the two latest versions of omicron appear to evade protection from vaccines and previous infections more easily than any others before.

Considered the most contagious COVID-19 subvariants to date, BA.4 and BA.5 have fueled surges in case counts across the country, including in the Midwest, where both have become predominant strains.

A new subvariant of omicron has continued to assert its dominance as the primary strain of COVID-19 circulating in the United States, making up nearly 60% of cases nationwide according to the latest estimates from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Chicago Department of Public Health Commissioner Dr. Allison Arwady provided an update on COVID cases rising across Illinois and Cook County ahead of Memorial Day. Lauren Petty has more.

President Joe Biden sought to quell concerns over the newly identified coronavirus variant omicron, telling Americans, “We’ll fight this variant with scientific and knowledgeable actions and speed, not chaos and confusion.”