If you take a COVID test and it comes back negative, that may not mean you’re in the clear just yet. But how many tests is enough?
How many tests should you take before you know that what you have isn't COVID?
Chicago's top doctor tackled that question Tuesday.
Plus, new COVID variants are continuing to grow in numbers as the BA.5 variant's dominance continues to shrink.
Here's what you need to know about the coronavirus pandemic across Illinois today:
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How Many COVID Tests Should You Take? Experts Say 1 Negative May Not Be Enough
If you take a COVID test and it comes back negative, that may not mean you're in the clear just yet.
For those feeling ill, particularly those who had a known COVID exposure, experts caution that one negative test might not be enough to determine you don't have the virus.
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But how many tests is enough?
Read more here.
BA.5 Cases Continue Decline as Other Omicron Subvariants Increase Across U.S.
The BA.5 omicron subvariant, which has been the dominant strain of COVID-19 in the United States for more than three months, is still responsible for 4-in-5 cases of the virus, but its grip is beginning to loosen as two other variants gain steam.
According to the latest figures from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, BA.5 is responsible for an estimated 81.3% of COVID cases in the United States, down from 83.2% a week ago.
Read more here.
So You Have COVID. Now What? Here's What to Do If You Test Positive
For those who contract COVID for the first time, or who test positive following updated guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention this summer, what is the protocol?
If you had COVID previously and followed the proper guidance, you'll need to take note as the current recommendations aren't the same as before. The CDC changed its quarantine and isolation guidance in August.
Read more here.
Get Your Omicron Booster Shot By This Date, White House Doc Says — And it's Coming Up
Millions of Americans have already received the new, Omicron-targeted bivalent COVID booster, officials say. But many more have yet to get the latest shot -- and a key date is coming up.
The booster shot, authorized by Food and Drug Administration and recommended by the Centers for Disease Control in early September, is designed to fight both the omicron variant and original COVID strains. Unlike previous booster shots, anyone over the age of 12-years-old who has received a primary vaccine series is eligible for the new shot.
Read more here.
COVID Incubation Period: How Long You're Contagious, Isolation Guidance and More
As a result of the more contagious BA.4 and BA.5 omicron subvariants, COVID-19's incubation period has changed in recent months, Chicago's top doctor previously revealed.
During a Facebook Live in August, Chicago Department of Public Health Commissioner Dr. Allison Arwady reported that studies have shown the incubation period for COVID has dropped to three days with recent variants.
Read more here.
Can COVID Cause Hair Loss? Why Some Experience It and Other Long Symptoms
If you've noticed some hair loss following a COVID infection, you likely aren't alone, and experts say there could be a reason why.
According to the American Academy of Dermatology Association, "many people find that their hair is falling out in large clumps" months after they've recovered from the illness.
And the symptom isn't exactly new.
Read more here.
