McHenry, Cook Counties Drop to ‘Medium’ Community Levels

Two of Illinois’ most populous counties have seen reductions in several key COVID metrics in recent weeks, with Cook and McHenry counties both dropping to a “medium” community level of the virus, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the Chicago area, Grundy County also dropped to the “medium” level according to the updated metrics. Kankakee County has continued its recent declines in COVID metrics, falling to a “low” community level of the virus.

The CDC uses several metrics to determine a county’s “community level” of COVID, including the rate of new cases and hospital admissions per 100,000 residents, as well as the percentage of hospital beds used by COVID patients.

McHenry County saw slight increases in hospital admissions and staffed bed usage, but saw a significant drop in the number of new cases per 100,000 residents, according to CDC data.

Cook County saw a similar drop in new cases, falling from 243.78 new cases per 100,000 residents to 192.3 in a single week.

There were a handful of counties that saw increases in their “community levels,” including Lake and Porter counties in northwest Indiana. LaSalle County in Illinois also made a similar move.

Here are the latest metrics from around the area:

Illinois

McHenry County (Medium):

Case Rate Per 100,000: 183.49

New COVID Admissions Per 100,000: 13.3

Percentage of Staffed Beds Used by COVID Patients: 4.9%

Lake County (High):

Case Rate Per 100,000: 218.37

New COVID Admissions Per 100,000: 13.3

Percentage of Staffed Beds Used by COVID Patients: 4.9%

DeKalb County (High):

Case Rate Per 100,000: 216.4

New COVID Admissions Per 100,000: 13.4

Percentage of Staffed Beds Used by COVID Patients: 5.3%

Kane County (High):

Case Rate Per 100,000: 216

New COVID Admissions Per 100,000: 13.4

Percentage of Staffed Beds Used by COVID Patients: 5.3%

DuPage County (High):

Case Rate Per 100,000: 241.84

New COVID Admissions Per 100,000: 13.3

Percentage of Staffed Beds Used by COVID Patients: 4.9%

Cook County (Medium):

Case Rate Per 100,000: 192.3

New COVID Admissions Per 100,000: 13.3

Percentage of Staffed Beds Used by COVID Patients: 4.9%

LaSalle County (High):

Case Rate Per 100,000: 230.98

New COVID Admissions Per 100,000: 12

Percentage of Staffed Beds Used by COVID Patients: 2.5%

With the BA.5 subvariant of omicron dominating COVID-19 cases in the United States this summer, what are the most common symptoms being reported?

Kendall County (High):

Case Rate Per 100,000: 260.49

New COVID Admissions Per 100,000: 13.4

Percentage of Staffed Beds Used by COVID Patients: 5.3%

Grundy County (Medium):

Case Rate Per 100,000: 160.61

New COVID Admissions Per 100,000: 10.2

Percentage of Staffed Beds Used by COVID Patients: 5.9%

Will County (High):

Case Rate Per 100,000: 211.66

New COVID Admissions Per 100,000: 10.2

Percentage of Staffed Beds Used by COVID Patients: 5.9%

Kankakee County (Low):

Case Rate Per 100,000: 178.41

New COVID Admissions Per 100,000: 6.6

Percentage of Staffed Beds Used by COVID Patients: 1.6%

After more than a week of waiting, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention finally unveiled its new guidelines for isolation, quarantine and social distancing, but one of the biggest changes involves those who experience more severe symptoms of the virus.