IDPH is Stressing the Availability of Therapeutic Medications to Treat COVID-19 And the Importance of Starting Treatment Quickly
SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) today reported 24,646 new confirmed and probable cases of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Illinois, including 46 deaths since April 22, 2022.
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Currently, IDPH is reporting a total of 3,138,682 cases, including 33,614 deaths, in 102 counties in Illinois since the beginning of the pandemic.
As of last night, 732 individuals in Illinois were reported to be in the hospital with COVID-19. Of those, 75 patients were in the ICU and 32 patients with COVID-19 were on ventilators. The preliminary seven-day statewide case rate is 193 COVID-19 cases per 100,000 Illinoisans.
IDPH officials noted that the case rate has been slowly rising in the state and five Illinois counties are now rated by the CDC as having a Medium Community Level of COVID-19. These counties are DuPage, Lake, Champaign, Logan and McLean. At the Medium Community Level, persons who are elderly or immunocompromised (at risk of severe outcomes) are advised to wear a mask in indoor public places. In addition, they should make sure to get up to date on their COVID-19 vaccines or get their 2nd booster, if eligible.
IDPH Acting Director Amaal Tokars said the State of Illinois remains strongly positioned to respond in the event of a new COVID-19 surge. The department has been supporting pharmacies and healthcare providers in efforts to increase their inventories of the various FDA-authorized treatment. There are over 2,200 treatment locations in Illinois - including all the major retail pharmacies - and that over 96.7% of the state’s population is within a 10-mile radius of one of these locations.
“The most important point we want to stress about COVID-19 treatments is that timing is essential, and the public should know that it is critically important to consult a healthcare provider and seek treatment immediately if you test positive,” Tokars said. “The treatments are widely available with a prescription, and they are much more effective at preventing hospitalizations and deaths when they are taken early in the course of the illness.”
A total of 21,871,464 vaccines have been administered in Illinois. The seven-day rolling average of vaccines administered daily is 15,913 doses. Since April 22, 2022, 111,391 doses were reported administered in Illinois. Of Illinois’ total population, more than 76% has received at least one COVID-19 vaccine dose, more than 68% of Illinois’ total population is fully vaccinated, and more than 51% of the vaccinated population is boosted according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Data indicates that the risk of hospitalization and severe outcomes from COVID-19 is much higher for unvaccinated people than for those who are up to date on their vaccinations.
All data are provisional and are subject to change. Additional information and COVID-19 data can be found at https://dph.illinois.gov/covid19.html.
Vaccination is the key to ending this pandemic. To find a COVID-19 vaccination location near you, go to www.vaccines.gov.
The federal government has established a new website that provides an all-purpose toolkit with information on how to obtain masks, treatment, vaccines and testing resources for all areas of the country at: https://www.covid.gov/.
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