WHO lifts COVID emergency: What is status of virus in Chicago, Illinois?

The World Health Organization announced Friday it would declare an end to the global COVID-19 emergency, but also warned the virus still remains a global health threat. 

"The worst thing any country could do now is to use this news as a reason to let down its guard, to dismantle the systems it has built, or to send the message to its people that COVID 19 is nothing to worry about," Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the WHO's director-general, told reporters Friday. 

The current COVID risk level in Chicago is low, according to the city's health department.  There are about 130 daily cases of COVID--that's about 33 cases per 100,000 people for an entire week. Those rates are similar in Cook and the collar counties. 

Statewide, the risk level is low in every county but four -- all downstate and at medium risk, according to state heath department data.  UPDATE: About two hours after this story was first published, the state revised its data: All counties in Illinois are at low risk.

There are about 10 variants of the Omicron virus reported across the state, but 81% are the highly contagious XBB 1.5. 

The symptoms are generally the same as other Omicron variants, but sore throat seems to be more prominent.

In general, Omicron doesn't cause severe symptoms, so hospitalizations are less likely, doctors say.  However, people who are immunocompromised or unvaccinated still carry a high risk of more severe symptoms.  The bivalent booster tends to mitigate illness, doctors say. 

In Northwest Indiana, cases are also quite low.  Lake County is averaging about 19 reported cases a week.  Surrounding counties report case counts in the single digits.