Tests and Omicrons, Symptoms, New CDC Guidelines – NBC Chicago

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has updated quarantine and quarantine guidance for those infected with COVID or those who test positive due to an ever-increasing number of cases.

Health officials say hospitalizations and cases are increasing across Illinois as the state begins to increase its residents’ testing and vaccination options.

Here’s what you need to know about the coronavirus pandemic in Illinois today:

Omicron’s Symptoms: Differences Based on Points to Note and Vaccine Status

Experts are prominent with the new COVID variant, as Omicron is now the predominant strain in the United States and the number of cases is increasing rapidly across Illinois and the country, and what many expect from the Delta variant. Says they have different symptoms.

Dr. Catherine Pauling, an infectious disease specialist and a member of the Immunization Implementation Advisory Board, Told NBC News Last week, cough, congestion, runny nose, and malaise appeared to be prominent symptoms of the Omicron variant. However, unlike Delta, many patients do not lose their taste or smell.

However, some experts suggest that symptoms may depend on vaccination status and underlying health status.

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Illinois hospital leader announces plea as COVID overwhelms staff

The leader of the Illinois hospital system says doctors, nurses and other employees are simply tired and tired because the pandemic is nearly two years old and the end isn’t immediately visible.

Executives from three hospital systems joined Governor JB Pritzkar at a press conference on Monday, asking residents to vaccinate and provide photos of the dire situation at facilities throughout the state.

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Goodman Theater cancels the rest of the “Christmas Carol” show for COVID

All remaining performances of the “Christmas Carol” at the Goodman Theater in Chicago were canceled as a result of internal COVID-19 exposure, along with other public health concerns, the entertainment venue announced on Monday. ..

The play was scheduled to continue until Friday, according to people familiar with the matter, but was canceled due to current public health conditions and rapid virus transmission rates in recent weeks, as well as COVID-19 exposure within the production company. I did.

Officials said the decision was made to “ensure the safety of the audience, artists and staff.”

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16 cases of Omicron mutants identified in DuPage County

Health officials confirmed 16 cases of Omicron mutants in DuPage County on Monday. This is the first known mutant case in the county.

According to a news release from DuPage County Health Dept., The earliest positive test was collected on 8 December and as of Monday, no mutant cases were reported hospitalized or died.

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Can a COVID test at home detect mutations in Omicron?This is what the FDA and researchers say

With the proliferation of COVID cases and the growing demand for testing sites, home testing is often a more convenient option.

However, some physicians, including Dr. Anthony Fauci, White House Chief Medical Advisor and US Infectious Diseases Expert, may not be able to adequately detect Omicron variants on all home antigen tests. Is warned.

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Updated CDC Guidelines for COVID Exposure: Timeline, Quarantine, Transmission Duration

What steps should I take if I have had close contact with a coronavirus positive test? How contagious is it, what are the quarantine guidelines, and when is it safe to meet people again?

On Monday, U.S. health officials eased quarantine restrictions on Americans who caught the coronavirus, reducing the time that close contact needs to be quarantined as well.

This change is intended for people who are not experiencing symptoms. People who have symptoms during quarantine or who develop symptoms during quarantine are advised to stay at home.

This is Latest guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention What to do if you believe you are positive or exposed to someone you have.

In Illinois, the number of cases of COVID has risen the most since the pandemic began, Topdoc said.

Dr. Ngozi Ezike provides a COVID update for Illinois as cases of Omicron variants continue to spread throughout the state.

Illinois Governor JB Pritzker Announces Expansion of COVID Vaccination resources and test site staff increase on Monday As the state’s top doctors have revealed, Illinois has experienced the largest surge in COVID-19 cases since the onset of the pandemic.

Providing the latest information on the coronavirus, the governor claimed that “a pandemic poses a serious threat to our state” and “to protect all residents of Illinois, regardless of vaccination status.” I will do as much as I can. “

Dr. Godi Ezike, director of the Illinois Public Health Service, said outbreaks of delta and omicron variants have caused more cases, and Illinois reports the highest surge in cases from across pandemics. He said he was doing it.

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Walgreens apologizes for scheduler testing after “temporary suspension” of vaccines

Walgreens said the “temporary suspension” affected the vaccine and test booking scheduler on Monday as the company reported “unprecedented demand” for vacation tests and vaccinations.

“Today, we have experienced a temporary outage of several web applications, including the COVID-19 vaccination and test booking scheduler,” the company said in a statement on Monday afternoon. “This issue has been fixed. We apologize for any inconvenience and apologize to our customers and patients.”

Earlier that day, users reported being placed in a “virtual waiting room” while attempting to book through the website of an Illinois-based pharmacy chain. The problem reappeared on Monday afternoon.

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Top Illinois Doctors Deal with Increasing Pediatric Hospitalization Amid Increasing COVID surges

Increased pediatric hospitalizations have been reported in some states as new Omicron variants continue to spread throughout the United States, and Illinois doctors are watching such numbers very carefully. I said there is.

“So we saw it [increase] “It’s very clear in some other states,” said Dr. Ngozi Ezike, director of public health in Illinois, on Monday. We have spoken anecdotally with many pediatricians who are heads of departments and hospitals that we see increasing, and we will continue to track those numbers. “

The New York State Health Department issued a warning on Friday With the proliferation of coronavirus outbreaks in the state, there is a “significant increase” in new hospitalizations for children, especially unvaccinated children.

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NHL postpones Blackhawks-jet game in Winnipeg

The NHL has announced that the Blackhawks match against Winnipeg Jets on Wednesday has been postponed for COVID-19 related reasons.

This news will arrive within 17 hours of the postponement of the contest against Columbus Blue Jackets on Tuesday.

The Blackhawks, postponed three times in a row, put Marc-Andre Fleury into the COVID protocol on the Monday just before practice. Calvin de Haan has been removed from the list. This means that Fleury is the only Chicago player in the protocol.

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Illinois Holds Booster Clinic to Increase Testing and Hospital Staff Amid Rapid Increase in COVID Cases

In delivering the first COVID update since the first arrival of the Omicron variant in Illinois, Governor JB Pritzkar said on Monday, after Christmas holidays and before New Year’s Eve, the state’s surge in cases, hospitalizations, and inspections. He said he is taking new steps to address the growing demand for Christmas. celebration.

Pritzker has announced that the state will soon increase access to both test shots and booster shots to counter the expansion of its spread throughout the state. We also provide staffing assistance to hospitals in need.

“We are announcing this surge in staffing to help the local health department immunize and boost tens of thousands of Illinois residents,” Pritzker said in a statement. “We are also increasing testing and continuing to distribute monoclonal antibodies, antivirals, and community-needed therapies and personal protective equipment.”

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Here’s where you’ll need a vaccine certificate in Chicago next year

Chicago from January 3rd Many indoor public spaces require vaccination proof The city is working to combat what authorities call “the largest COVID surge seen before vaccines became available.”

Where vaccination certification is required and where it is not:

Lymph node swelling after COVID booster shot?This is what the experts say

Have you ever experienced swollen lymph nodes in your arm that received a COVID vaccine or booster shot?

You are not alone.

In fact, you may not have experienced it with your first dose of the vaccine, but you may still be able to see it after a booster shot.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the side effects of the vaccine are actually more common in boosters or boosts than in the initial dose of the COVID vaccine.

But the CDC said worrying wasn’t a side effect.

This is the reason.

Booster Shots and Omicron: Is Moderna or Pfizer performing well?The data so far are as follows

Both Moderna and Pfizer have released early data showing the effectiveness of vaccine and booster doses as new Omicron variants begin to take root and the number of cases of COVID increases across the United States.

But does one perform better than the other?

This is what we have ever known.

Dr. Allison Arwadi, Chicago’s Director of Public Health, gave a breakdown on Tuesday of which COVID-19 mutants are currently leading the surge in the Midwest. Currently, 99.9% of COVID cases are delta-type, but based on studies from other countries, she predicts that omicron-type will soon spread rapidly.

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

Experts said more information about the Omicron variant was expected in the weeks following its detection.

Now, about a month after a new COVID variant was identified in South Africa and two weeks after it was first recorded in the United States, what do we know?

A top Chicago doctor said there were some discoveries so far as a result of early examination of the latest data while we were still learning about varieties and research continued to evolve.

Here is a breakdown of what we know.