Will There Be a Fall or Winter Surge? Chicago's Top Doc Reveals What Concerns Her Most

Will There Be a Fall or Winter Surge? Chicago's Top Doc Reveals What Concerns Her Most

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Here are today's top stories It's Friday, Sep. 2nd. 1 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 → 2 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 → 3 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 student reported change in the taste of their mouth, or what she called "dysgeusia." Read More → 4 Chicago-Area Walgreens Now Offering Appointments For New COVID Booster Shots Chicago-area Walgreens locations are now booking appointments for the newly approved COVID booster shots that specifically target the highly contagious BA.4 and BA.5 omicron subvariants, the pharmacy said in a release Friday. "This season, we encourage everyone to stay protected by getting vaccinated with this more targeted updated COVID-19 booster in addition to receiving their flu shot or other routine immunizations in a single visit," Dr. Anita Patel, vice president of Walgreens' Pharmacy Services Development, said in the release. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Thursday cleared the reformulated COVID shots following a nearly seven-hour meeting and a 13-1 vote by the agency's independent committee on vaccines. CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky signed off on the shots a few hours later, clearing the way for pharmacies to soon start administering the boosters. Read More → 5 How and Where to Find $3 Movies Tickets in the Chicago Area for National Cinema Day For just one day, big screens throughout the Chicago area will offer movie tickets for just $3 as part of "National Cinema Day." The newly-created event is highlighted by the blockbuster deal, with discounted tickets made available across 45 movie theatres in the Chicago area and more than 3,000 in the country — all on Saturday. "After this summer's record-breaking return to cinemas, we wanted to do something to celebrate moviegoing," Jackie Brenneman, Cinema Foundation president, said in a statement. "We're doing it by offering a 'thank you' to the moviegoers that made this summer happen, and by offering an extra enticement for those who haven't made it back yet." Read More → 6 Illinois Coronavirus Updates: Omicron-Targeted Booster Shots On Their Way to Illinois, Chicago Now that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention gave new, 'bivalent' COVID booster shots their blessing, the vaccine, specifically targeting the highly contagious omicron subvariants, are on their way to Illinois and Chicago. And that's good news, Chicago's top doctor says, for this winter and fall — a time of year that has historically seen respiratory viruses surge. Here's what you need to know about the coronavirus pandemic across Illinois today: 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