SPRINGFIELD – Opioid overdoses are on the rise in Illinois, according to state health officials. The year 2019 saw a 22% increase in opioid-related emergency room visits compared to the prior year — and a 3% increase in overdose deaths, from 2,167 in 2018 to 2,233 in 2019. Preliminary data for the first half of…
URBANA – When choosing a mask or face covering to wear during the pandemic, research from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign suggests that a well-fitted mask made of two layers of a breathable material can be nearly as effective as a surgical mask at blocking respiratory droplets, which are released when people cough, sneeze…
MONTICELLO – A group of advocates for patient safety from across the U.S. will gather in Washington D.C. this week to raise awareness about medical mistakes. Among them will be Monticello resident Tony Galbo, whose daughter Gabby died in 2012 at the age of 5 after getting a tick bite and developing a sepsis infection…
CHAMPAIGN – The 2020 census will determine how much funding and political representation communities across the U.S. receive. But so far, about a third of Champaign County residents have not participated. At this point in 2010, when the last constitutionally mandated nationwide count was conducted, about 70% of residents had participated, says State Sen. Scott…
PAXTON, IL – Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, more people are reporting symptoms of depression, according to a recent study in the journal JAMA Network Open. The study finds those with lower incomes and high exposure to coronavirus stressors are at greatest risk. In rural Ford County, more people have reached out for help…
CHICAGO – The U.S. food supply depends on millions of migrant and seasonal farmworkers, who are particularly vulnerable to COVID-19 because of circumstances in which they live and work. Outbreaks of COVID-19 on farms have killed more than a dozen farmworkers nationwide, and infected thousands more, according to tracking from the Food and Environment Reporting…
URBANA – Since Aug. 16, when twice-a-week COVID-19 testing was made mandatory for students arriving back to the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 679 positive COVID-19 cases have been identified among students, faculty and staff, according to the U of I’s public database. Most of these are among students who arrived back to campus already…
GREENVILLE – A private college in southern Illinois is working with the University of Illinois to evaluate the effectiveness of the U of I’s COVID-19 Shield program on containing the spread of the virus at a small, rural campus. The program relies on a rapid, saliva-based test developed by U of I researchers, as well…
URBANA – The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign launched a public database Monday, which reports how many saliva-based COVID-19 tests are being performed on the campus each day — and how many positive cases have been identified. Out of 50,945 tests run on students, faculty and staff from Aug. 17 through Aug. 23, 311 positive…
EDITOR’S NOTE, Sept. 29: This story is no longer up-to-date, as University of Illinois officials claimed the campus’ saliva-based test had received FDA emergency use authorization on Aug. 19, but an FDA spokesperson tells Illinois Newsroom the test has never operated under an EUA. For more information on the newly learned details, click here. URBANA –…
EDITOR’S NOTE, Sept. 29: This story is no longer up-to-date, as University of Illinois officials claimed the campus’ saliva-based test had received FDA emergency use authorization on Aug. 19, but an FDA spokesperson tells Illinois Newsroom the test has never operated under an EUA. For more information on the newly learned details, click here. CHAMPAIGN…
CHAMPAIGN – Twice-a-week COVID-19 testing is mandatory for all students, faculty and staff at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign who intend to participate in campus life. Campus officials are now encouraging everyone on the Urbana campus to download and use the “Safer Illinois” app, which provides testing results, reminders and other personalized information. “We…
CHICAGO – As the number of COVID-19 cases trends upwards in Illinois, state officials want to see better enforcement of mask-wearing and other public health guidance. The average daily number of new COVID-19 cases in the state is up 31% compared to two weeks ago. The seven-day positivity rate stands at 4.1% Dr. Ngozi Ezike,…
CHAMPAIGN – Researchers at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign have been analyzing COVID-19 data to help the state — and campus — make decisions throughout the pandemic. Nigel Goldenfeld, professor of physics, and Sergei Maslov, professor of bioengineering and physics, spoke at a live-streamed COVID-19 briefing Thursday. Goldenfeld said that at the start of…
CHICAGO – Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, 28-year-old Mayra Ramirez was working as a paralegal for an immigration law firm in Chicago. She enjoyed walking her dogs and running 5K races. Ramirez has a condition requiring medication that could’ve suppressed her immune system but was otherwise healthy. When the Illinois governor issued a shelter-in-place order…