Cluster of Legionnaires' Cases Possibly Tied to Suburban Church: Illinois Health Officials

Cluster of Legionnaires' Cases Possibly Tied to Suburban Church: Illinois Health Officials

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Here are today's top stories It's Saturday, Sep. 3rd. 1 Cluster of Legionnaires' Cases Possibly Tied to Suburban Church: Illinois Health Officials A cluster of Legionnaires' disease cases have been reported in a Chicago suburb, believed to be linked to an area church, health officials revealed Friday. The Illinois Department of Public Health and the Stickney Public Health District said they were investigating a cluster of cases in Burbank, Illinois. The cases were so far reported between June and August, health officials said, with at least one case geographically linked to the St. Albert Great Church in Burbank. Three other cases were linked epidemiologically, the department said. Read More → 2 Chicago's Top Doctor Reveals Which COVID Symptoms She Experienced Chicago's top doctor became the latest high-profile COVID case to hit the Chicago area last week and on Tuesday she described what her experience was like. Having contracted the virus for the first time last week, Chicago Department of Public Health Commissioner Dr. Allison Arwady said she believed she got sick during a family vacation. Upon her return, she immediately began testing – and then last Tuesday, the symptoms began. Read More → 3 Massive Beanie Baby Collection Up for Grabs in Rockford as Part of Estate Sale When a Rockford woman passed away, she left behind some important possessions to her children that are now part of a unique estate sale. That's because the woman had a massive collection of Beanie Babies, among other stuffed animals. Kelly Kakert, owner of Jolly Estate Sales, said the collection includes roughly 1,300 Beanie Babies, all of which were previously kept in the woman's 1,200-square-foot condo. Read More → 4 Will There Be a Fall or Winter Surge? Chicago's Top Doc Reveals What Concerns Her Most Are Chicago-area health officials bracing for another fall or winter COVID surge? Chicago's top doctor said she's watching one thing in the coming months that could lead to a potential shift. In each of the last two winters, COVID cases and hospitalizations have dramatically spiked in the state of Illinois, with last winter seeing the switch from the delta variant to the more contagious omicron variant that has since spawned even more contagious subvariants now making up a majority of cases. Chicago Department of Public Health Commissioner Dr. Allison Arwady warned Thursday that if uptake on a new booster vaccine designed to target the omicron strain specifically is slow, then the city could potentially face a third consecutive year of surging cases. Read More → 5 Stretch of Road in Southern Illinois Shut Down Due to Snake Migration A more than two-mile stretch of road in southern Illinois will be closed for several weeks due to a yearly snake migration that is not often seen anywhere else in the country. Known as "snake road," Forest Road #345 in the Shawnee National Forest was closed to vehicles starting Sept. 1 and continuing through Oct. 30, according to the U.S. Forest Service. The road is shut down to vehicles twice a year, with another closure taking place from March to May. Read More → 6 What Is Paxlovid Mouth and Why Do Some Get It? Chicago's Top Doc Explains Paxlovid has been in headlines recently as the anti-viral COVID treatment has been used in some high-profile cases, including President Joe Biden, and while the drug has been associated with rare cases of what's known as "COVID rebound," some who received it have also noted another unusual side effect being referred to as "Paxlovid mouth." According to Rush University Medical Center, "Paxlovid mouth" is often used to refer to a metallic or bitter taste in the mouth shortly after taking the drug. Shivanjali Shankaran, MD, an infectious disease specialist at RUSH, said about 5.6% of people who took Paxlovid in a study reported changes in the taste of their mouth, or what she called "dysgeusia." Read More → Got a tip or story idea? tips@nbcchicago.com Follow NBC Chicago Unsubscribe from this Mailing | Unsubscribe from all | Privacy | Terms ©2021 Copyright NBCUniversal Owned Television Stations 30 Rockefeller Plaza - New York, NY 10112