Latest On COVID Risk In Illinois As Cases On Rise In South, West

CHICAGO — President Joe Biden tested positive for COVID-19 Wednesday amid a national uptick in emergency room visits and hospitalizations. Activity in Illinois is “low,” the second lowest designation from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

With fresh cases bubbling up, particularly in southern and western states, health officials are recommending that all Americans get a new vaccination this fall.

But survey data presented by the CDC showed about 23 percent of people said they would "definitely" get an updated COVID-19 shot this fall, but 33 percent said they definitely would not.

CDC wastewater monitoring data shows “very high” coronavirus levels in seven states and “high” rates in another 19. Illinois' low rate of transmission is based on tests conducted at 54 wastewater treatment sites.

The wastewater tests show mixed results among neighboring states, with low viral activity in Indiana, moderate in Iowa, Kentucky and Wisconsin and high activity in Missouri.

The U.S. Health and Human Services Region 5, which also includes Indiana, Ohio, Michigan, Minnesota and Wisconsin, saw a 10.2 percent test positivity rate through July 6, according to CDC data.

Nationwide, emergency room visits related to COVID-19 are up 23.5 percent for the week ending July 6 compared to the previous week. The test positivity rate during the same period was 11 percent, up from 8.6 percent the week before.

In Illinois, just 1.1 percent of all patients who arrive at the emergency room are diagnosed with COVID-19, though that marks and increase of 33.5 percent compared to the prior week.

The White House said Wednesday that Biden has mild symptoms and is isolating in his home but still performing the full duties of the office.

Officials didn’t say what strain of COVID the president has, but most hew cases nationwide are caused by the “FLiRT” variant, the CDC said.

On Friday morning, a third Senate Democrat and a fourth and fifth member of the Illinois congressional delegation — Reps. Sean Casten and Chuy Garcia — called for Biden to step down.

"[W]e must face the reality that widespread public concerns about your age and fitness are jeopardizing what should be a winning campaign,” Garcia said, in a joint statement with Reps. Jared Huffman, of California, Rep. Marc Veasey, of Texas, and Mark Pocan of Wisconsin.

“These perceptions may not be fair," they said, "but they have hardened in the aftermath of last month’s debate and are now unlikely to change.”

According to the White House, the 81-year-old president tested positive for COVID-19 during a trip to Las Vegas this week and expected “mild symptoms” such as “general malaise."

Because of his age, Biden is among the people most at risk for severe illnesses, along with immunocompromised and people with severe medical conditions. He is taking Paxlovid, officials have sad.

Related: What To Know About The New FLiRT Coronavirus Mutation

Although it appears illnesses associated with FLiRT aren’t as serious as those caused by other variants, some symptoms set it apart. They include:

• Sore throat
• Cough
• Fatigue,
• Congestion
• Runny nose
• Fever or chills
• Headache
• Muscle aches
• Loss of sense of taste or smell
• Diarrhea

“We continue to see more mild disease, but that’s likely not because the virus is milder, but because our immunity is so much stronger now. After years of vaccinations and infections, most of the population is better able to fight off an infection without as much concern for severe disease,” Andy Pekosz, a professor in microbiology and immunology at Johns Hopkins University, told a school publication.

Avoiding crowded indoor areas, wearing a mask, and avoiding those who are sick with COVID are all ways to prevent catching the new FLiRT variant, health officials have said.

After the announcement of his COVID-positive test result on Wednesday, Biden emerged maskless from the motorcade after he arrived at the airport in Las Vegas following several appearances, nor was he wearing a mask as he stepped off the plane hours later at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware.

Quentin Fulks, the president's principal deputy campaign manager, said at a Thursday news conference in Milwaukee that Biden was “feeling fine” and was making calls and doing work.