Fewer people need critical care for COVID-19 in Illinois right now than at any time since the early days of the pandemic — but the virus is showing the beginning signs of a potential rebound in Chicago.
Hospitals across the state reported 65 coronavirus patients were admitted to intensive care units as of Tuesday night, down 95% from the height of the Omicron variant surge in January.
Illinois’ ICU figure previously bottomed out at 76 patients last July, according to the state Department of Public Health, which could only provide admission figures dating back to April 12, 2020 — the initial surge of the pandemic.
The low ICU total is just one facet of the state’s broad improvement in COVID-19 metrics over the past month.
An average of 1,078 residents have tested positive each day over the past week, compared to the staggering rate of almost 30,000 per day in mid-January. Total hospitalizations have fallen from more than 7,300 since then down to 503 as of Tuesday night. Daily ICU admissions routinely topped 1,100 during January, nearly 18 times higher than the current double-digit numbers.
And average daily death counts have dipped from 107 down to 16.
But cases are inching back up in the city, which has averaged 164 new infections per day over the last week — a 19% increase compared to the previous week, according to the Chicago Department of Public Health. The seven-day average citywide testing positivity rate has inched up from 0.7% to 0.9%, too, while hospitalizations and deaths are still on the downtrend.
Chicago Public Health Commissioner Dr. Allison Arwady said Tuesday that the uptick is likely the result of the more transmissible BA.2 subvariant, or so-called “stealth” Omicron.
“It’s nothing to be alarmed about,” Arwady said — but adding that it is another reason to get vaccinated and boosted.
About 72% of Illinoisans are considered fully vaccinated.
For help finding a shot, visit chi.gov/covidvax or call the city’s COVID-19 hotline at 312-746-4835.
