Travelers pass through Midway Airport on Friday. More than 290,000 travelers are expected to pass through Illinois airports this week. Health officials are urging caution as COVID-19 rises in the Chicago area.
Pat Nabong/Sun-Times
Health officials are warning Thanksgiving attendees to take precautions as COVID-19 hospitalizations rise heading into the peak holiday week.
COVID-19 hospitalizations have increased about 17% over the past week, with the city averaging one death per day from the respiratory virus, according to the city’s most recent data. Several wastewater treatment facilities in the city have also reported increased detection of the virus, according to the CDC.
With record numbers of people expected to pass through Illinois airports this week, experts warn that a lack of caution may worsen the spread. About 290,000 travelers are expected to pass through airports, up 8% from last year and surpassing pre-pandemic levels, the Transportation Security Administration said.
Yanina Purim-Shem-Tov, an emergency physician at Rush Hospital, said the same measures used at the height of the pandemic — masking, distancing and handwashing — will help other people secure a new wave of vacations.
“We’re all tired of COVID and maybe we’d like to take precautions,” Purim-Shem-Tov said. But “I can’t say enough to stay alert, keep your hands clean, and if you’re going to be in an enclosed space, we’re still introducing masks. “
He added that while in the past it was thought that patients could simply have COVID-19 or the flu, the hospital has since noticed patients with either at the same time and has similar precautions, as well as COVID boosters and flu shots, especially. For older people or people with weakened immune systems, such as other people receiving chemotherapy.
The state-run fitness company said the risk of COVID-19 is lower than it has been in the past three years, and city data shows nearly a quarter of Chicagoans won the most recent retreat, despite issues insurance and sources last month. Authorities have consistently advised people to establish ventilation groups to help prevent the spread of the virus.
Purim-Shem-Tov also said Rush has noticed a buildup of RSV, or respiratory syncytial virus, in children. Although this illness did not succeed in last year’s excessive numbers and will present itself as “cold-like” in maximum healthy adult conditions, it still suggests taking precautions similar to those taken for the flu and COVID-19.
“This is the season,” Purim-Shem-Tov said.