Can you start expanding your social circle after receiving the coronavirus vaccine?
Illinois medical experts gave their opinion.
At the same time, the state is expected to expand the requirements for those entitled to vaccination in Phase 1B of the state’s launch this week.
Here are the latest COVID headlines from around the state:
Coronavirus in Illinois: 1,246 new cases, 34 additional deaths, nearly 60,000 vaccinations
Health officials in Illinois are reporting 1,246 new cases of coronavirus on Monday, along with 34 additional deaths attributed to the virus.
According to the latest data from the Illinois Department of Public Health, Monday’s new cases have raised the state to 1,175,655 cases of the virus since the pandemic began last year. A total of 20,303 deaths were reported as a result of the virus.
The seven-day positivity rate increased slightly on Monday, with 2.8% of all tests returning with positive results, according to IDPH. That was 2.7% the day before. The rate of positivity in tested individuals remained stable at 3.1%.
In terms of vaccinations, the numbers continue to be impacted by the bad weather that has limited the delivery of new doses in recent days. A total of 59,748 doses of the vaccine were administered in Illinois on Sunday, with the seven-day moving average now reaching 55,499 doses per day.
A total of 2,256,975 doses of vaccine were delivered to providers in Illinois, along with 445,200 doses delivered to pharmacies as part of a federal program to inoculate employees and residents in long-term care facilities. Of these 2.7 million doses, 2,211,700 vaccines were administered in Illinois until midnight, including 282,820 for long-term care institutions.
Phase 1B vaccine eligibility set to expand this week
Illinois is set to expand the list of people eligible for COVID-19 vaccinations in Phase 1B of its launch, Governor JB Pritzker announced on Wednesday.
The state hopes to increase eligibility starting February 25, allowing people with “a high-risk medical condition” or comorbidity to be vaccinated. The list includes people with cancer, diabetes, obesity, pregnant women and people with several other illnesses.
Here is a list of what qualifies as a high-risk medical condition.
Chicago and Cook County do not expect to enter the state to expand eligibility.
For a complete view of where and how you can make an appointment in Illinois or where you can receive information about vaccines for your area, click here.
More staff returning to Chicago public school classrooms on Monday
Additional teachers and staff are expected to return to classrooms as the district prepares to welcome more students back in the coming weeks.
According to the CPS schedule, teachers from kindergarten through 5th grade were due to attend school on Monday, a week before their students return for face-to-face learning.
The move was part of an agreement between the district and the Chicago Teachers Union, after weeks of negotiations over a return to classroom teaching and vaccinations for teachers.
Illinois chief physician says widespread availability of vaccines for months
Illinois’ chief physician promised widespread availability of the COVID-19 vaccine to state residents, but said it would take months for the supply to meet demand.
Comments by Illinois Department of Public Health director Dr. Ngozi Ezike in an opinion piece from the Chicago Tribune over the weekend came amid complaints of shortages and difficulties in obtaining consultations. The recent explosion of winter weather has also delayed shipments, leading to the cancellation of appointments.
“It will take months for our supply to comfortably exceed demand – an obstacle we have always expected, and the reason why we dedicate so much time and think about the prioritization phases,” wrote Ezike. “Everyone deserves their turn to get the vaccine, and it is my promise to Illinois that we will get there – as efficiently, quickly and as equitably as we can.”
Lowest COVID-19 positivity rate since pandemic began, says Chicago’s best doctor
The coronavirus positivity rate in Chicago is the lowest since the pandemic began, the city’s chief physician announced on Friday.
“I am also happy to announce today that we are 3.5% positive in the city of Chicago,” said Dr. Allison Arwady, commissioner for the Chicago Department of Public Health. “This is the least positivity that the city of Chicago has seen from COVID since COVID came to Chicago.”
Arwady noted that during the summer, Chicago’s positivity rate fell below 4%, but never to the level the city is registering on Friday.
The Chicago city has an average of 323 new cases of COVID-19 a day, Arwady said, which is less than the more than 3,000 cases recorded at the peak of the virus. The city’s daily case count is also below the “high-risk area” threshold, according to Chicago guidance.
Can you socialize after being fully vaccinated? Expert response
After receiving the coronavirus vaccine, when is it safe to expand your social circles or see your loved ones?
According to experts on the “Vaccinated Status” panel of NBC 5, the answer is somewhat complicated.
“One thing we don’t know about the vaccine is whether or not people will continue to spread the virus if they get infected,” said Dr. Richard Novak, head of the IU’s Division of Infectious Diseases for Health. “The vaccine is very effective in preventing people from getting sick, but that doesn’t mean they didn’t get the infection. We don’t know that you don’t know yet. leaving their bodies has decreased. “
According to Novak, the duration of immunity given by the vaccine is still unclear.
“What we do know is that an immunity actually lasts for at least the three months we had in the study, and in fact, if you look at the levels of antibodies produced by the vaccines, first, it is higher than a natural infection.” Novak said. “And the antibodies that the vaccine induces are more potent than natural infection, and the path of antibody decline is quite slow, so it is expected that the level of antibodies will continue to last at least a year or more, but we don’t . t, we will not know about this until we complete the studies that are still in progress. “
Likewise, grandparents asked when they can see young grandchildren after receiving the vaccination, noting that children are less susceptible to serious infections from the virus.
“We don’t want to risk the possibility of silent, silent and involuntary transfer of the virus to the baby,” said Dr. Ngozi Ezike, Director of the Illinois Department of Public Health. “The baby can be passed on to parents and others in the household. So we still need to be careful when mixing families.”
But what if both people were fully vaccinated?
Complete vaccination occurs two weeks after the person receives the second dose of the vaccine.
“To be honest with you, I think it’s quite safe for two people who are completely vaccinated – which means two weeks after the second dose – people who are completely vaccinated to expand their circle of friends to include other people who are completely vaccinated, and moderately,” said Dr. Emily Landon, executive medical director of Infection Control and Prevention at the University of Chicago Medicine. “I think it is probably quite reasonable. But I think it is really important, for the most part, to continue wearing our masks.”
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