What happens if you continue testing positive well after your isolation period has ended?
Questions continue over COVID isolation and quarantine guidelines as the BA.5 variant leads to some confusion. Meanwhile, there's some big news on the horizon for potential vaccination against the omicron strain.
Here's what you need to know about the coronavirus pandemic across Illinois today:
Have COVID Quarantine Guidelines Changed? Here's What Chicago's Top Doctor Says About the New Variant
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Omicron subvariants BA.4 and BA.5 continue to account for rising COVID cases, as health officials have noted that the new strains are highly transmissible and making people test longer.
Despite the subvariants, Chicago Department of Public Health Commissioner Dr. Allison Arwady said she doesn't anticipate changes to isolation or quarantine protocols.
Read more here.
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BioNTech Says Omicron-Specific COVID Vaccines Could be Delivered as Soon as This Fall
The company that manufactures the Pfizer COVID vaccine says that it could potentially begin deliveries on an omicron-targeting variation of the inoculation as soon as this fall.
According to a press release from BioNTech, issued following a Monday earnings call, deliveries of the omicron-adapted vaccines could begin as soon as October, pending regulatory approval by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Food and Drug Administration.
Read more here.
Can You End COVID Isolation If You're Still Testing Positive? What to Know About the Guidelines
Still testing positive even after isolating for COVID?
What does that mean for your isolation period and when can you start to see people again?
Experts say some tests can stay positive for several weeks after infection.
Read more here.
BA.5: Common Symptoms Associated With the Current Dominant COVID Variant
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?
More than 80% of cases are currently being caused by the subvariant, according to CDC estimates, and officials say that the virus is seemingly better able to evade immunity given by the COVID vaccine.
The omicron subvariant is making up an even larger portion of cases in the Midwest, and some locations in Illinois are starting to see surges, according to Chicago's top doctor.
Here’s what we know about the illness.
COVID Rebound FAQ's: What Causes It, Does Paxlovid Make it More Likely, and How Often Does it Occur?
After several high-profile cases of "COVID rebound" in recent weeks, many Americans are curious about just how frequent the ailment is in patients who test positive for the virus.
While not common, a return of COVID symptoms after initial improvement could occur in nearly 30% of cases, and in some instances, a positive test result can occur even after several negative tests, as it did for President Joe Biden in recent weeks.
Here is what we know about the phenomenon.
Do You Need to Test Negative After Having COVID? What to Know About Ending Isolation
If you test positive for COVID and isolate, do you need a negative test before you can see people again?
It's a question many are asking after news first broke that President Joe Biden tested negative, then positive again days later.
Read more here.
COVID Medications and Treatments: What Are Your Options?
Amid news Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker and President Joe Biden were both given an anti-viral treatment for COVID after testing positive, many may be wondering what options they have to treat the virus if they contract it.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that people with COVID contact their doctor, stating that "medications to treat COVID-19 must be prescribed by a health care provider and started as soon as possible after diagnosis to be effective."
Read more here.
Do You Need to Test Negative After Having COVID? What to Know About Ending Isolation
If you test positive for COVID and isolate, do you need a negative test before you can see people again?
It's a question many are asking after news first broke that President Joe Biden tested negative, then positive again days later.
Read more here.
