Severe flu season overwhelming Chicago area hospitals with more ER patients
Severe flu season is sending many people to hospital emergency rooms across the country, including in the Chicago area.
Watch CBS News
Severe flu season is sending many people to hospital emergency rooms across the country, including in the Chicago area.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said doctor’s office visits for the flu have reached their highest level in almost three decades. Skyler Henry reports.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says 32 jurisdictions are showing "high" or "very high" levels of flu.
Doctors are saying while the flu vaccine doesn’t prevent the virus entirely, it can help reduce the severity and length of your illness.
Flu season is only half over, but 19,000 people have already died from influenza in the U.S.
In addition to norovirus, regular winter respiratory illnesses like RSV and flu are spiking, as is COVID-19.
The Illinois Department of Public Health said cases of flu, RSV, and COVID-19 are on the rise across the state.
Federal health officials are getting the word out that the flu vaccination can be life-saving for children, and now is the time to do it. Marie Saavedra reports.
The formula inside flu and COVID shots changes every year, which is why another shot is needed.
The new recommendations apply to COVID-19 and other viruses, like flu and RSV.
As of Tuesday, the Illinois Department of Public Health had the state under a moderate level of activity when it comes to respiratory illness.
The new JN.1 variant is to blame for the latest spike.
COVID-19, the flu, and RSV are all hitting hard. In particular as COVID cases gradually increase, health leaders are reminding people to take the necessary precautions in protecting themselves. CBS 2's Jermont Terry reports.
In the last four weeks, hospitalizations are skyrocketing for the flu, RSV and COVID-19.
"COVID-19 hospitalizations are rising quickly," the CDC said, and the new variant JN.1 is making up an increasing share of cases.
Can you get your COVID booster and flu shot at the same time? Here's what health experts say.
"Whether that's getting up-to-date with recommended vaccines, choosing to wear a high-quality mask in crowded indoor spaces, or improving ventilation at your next gathering, do something to protect yourself and those around you."
As Americans enter the third pandemic holiday season, there are two more respiratory viruses surging: respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and influenza.
Chicago police are investigating a liquor store burglary that was caught on camera early Tuesday morning.
A woman was shot and critically wounded on Chicago's Northwest Side early Tuesday morning.
An Arlington Heights school canceled classes on Monday after a police officer lost his gun on the school campus.
The World Health Organization says there may be some human-to-human transmission aboard the ship, as it prepares to medically evacuate two passengers.
The Cubs trailed 3-0 in the fourth before Suzuki tied it with a three-run drive off Chase Petty, Chicago's longest homer of the season.
A federal appeals court blocked a FDA rule that allowed the abortion pill mifepristone to be dispensed through the mail.
With 60 field organizers, 15 offices, and high-seven-figure spending planned, Iowa Democrats are making their most aggressive midterm investment in years as they target open seats for governor and U.S. Senate.
The 81-year-old former New York City mayor has been hospitalized for pneumonia, his spokesperson said.
Elmwood Park, Center Cass, Oak Lawn Hometown, and Atwood Heights are among the Illinois districts being investigated by the Justice Department over classroom instruction on gender and sexuality.
Negotiations over a $500 million dollar government aid package for Spirit stalled after bondholders balked at the terms.
Chatham residents say they're losing a vital resource as Walgreen's prepares to close its store near 86th and Cottage Grove.
According to AAA, the average price of a gallon of regular gas in Chicago was $5.17 on Friday, up from $3.75 a year ago.
Peoples Gas and North Shore Gas Company customers are likely to see minor credits on their bills for the next three years, thanks to a $125 million settlement agreement announced Thursday by Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul.
Chicago gas prices are spiking as the war with Iran drags on, with regular gas nearing $6 in some spots and premium already selling for more than $7 in some places.
In the legal venue of anti-trust enforcement, the state is not taking on the Trump administration, but rather filling a void that state officials say the Trump administration has vacated.
Thirty years ago, Advocate Children's Hospital created a specialized team to transport the smallest patients to get life-saving care. On the anniversary of the Neonatal Pediatric Transport Team, they unveiled some a new ambulance.
The second-largest physicians' group in the U.S. has issued a surprising switch in breast cancer screening recommendations.
A new $48 million wellness center opened Thursday in the West Garfield Park neighborhood. The goal is to improve the health and quality of life for people on the West Side of Chicago.
La Rabida Children's Hospital went all out for Earth Day on Wednesday, with volunteer cleanup efforts by staffers and activities for patients and families.
It has been several weeks since West Suburban Medical Center in Oak Park, Illinois, abruptly shut down — and then on Wednesday, it just as swiftly partially reopened, with some services available.
Thousands of people marched from the West Loop to Daley Plaza in downtown Chicago on Friday for May Day, with activists calling for workers' rights, stronger labor protections, and increased school funding.
A $170 million-plus plan announced this week will redevelop the Water Tower Place mall on the Magnificent Mile.
The Holiday Club in Chicago's Buena Park neighborhood will soon be going out of business, as the building that houses the popular bar is set to be torn down.
At a meeting on Tuesday, the Lincolnwood Village Board approved a pre-development agreement with the mall, providing a roadmap with the property owner for further preparations and government approvals for redevelopment.
The only remaining location of Pal Joey's pizzeria in Batavia, Illinois, will soon be going out of business, its owner announced this week.
David Allan Coe also had hits with "You Never Even Called Me By My Name" and "The Ride" among others.
Some youngsters got a behind-the-scenes look at the magic of making opera Sunday at the Lyric Opera of Chicago.
Matt DeCaro, an actor who was a familiar face on the Chicago stage for many years, died this weekend.
Jake was at the funeral for one of his closest friends when he learned of his parents' deaths, he said.
Tickets for the 2026 Ravinia Festival season went on sale Thursday morning.
The World Health Organization is working to evacuate passengers from the cruise ship at the center of a rare hantavirus outbreak.
Travel expert Clint Page joins CBS News Chicago as questions remain about the impact of Spirit Airlines' shutdown.
An Arlington Heights school canceled classes on Monday after a police officer lost his gun on the school campus.
Meteorologist Laura Bannon has the extended forecast.
Police are investigating a liquor store burglary in Lincoln Park.
Chatham residents say they're losing a vital resource as Walgreen's prepares to close its store near 86th and Cottage Grove.
An Arlington Heights school canceled classes on Monday after a police officer lost his gun on the school campus.
Questions remain about how the man charged with killing Chicago police officer John Bartholomew and shooting his partner last month was able to get a gun into Swedish Hospital after he was arrested for an earlier armed robbery.
Chicago police are investigating a liquor store burglary that was caught on camera early Tuesday morning.
A woman was shot and critically wounded on Chicago's Northwest Side early Tuesday morning.
Rideshare drivers say it's getting difficult to continue working as gas prices surpass $6 in the city.
More than four months after a Chicago woman battling ALS was told she couldn't get a disabled parking placard in front of her home, the sign is up and her life is about to change.
An elderly woman has essentially abandoned her home of three decades because of constantly broken elevators at her high-rise condo building on the Southwest Side of Chicago.
Violent retail crime is on the rise in Illinois, according to a new report from the Illinois Organized Retail Crime Association.
A top administrator in the Libertyville school district has been placed on leave after a fiery school board meeting focused on how the district handled allegations of grooming leveled against a former teacher.
The Cubs trailed 3-0 in the fourth before Suzuki tied it with a three-run drive off Chase Petty, Chicago's longest homer of the season.
Graham previously served as the Senior Vice President of Basketball Operations for the Atlanta Hawks.
Chicago's Derek Hill hit a two-run shot that tied it at 3 in the seventh.
At 22-12, the Cubs are a season-high 10 games over .500.
The White Sox broke through against Michael King (3-2) in the sixth and then chased the Padres' top starter in the seventh.
Chief Geoff Guttschow, who has an autistic child who drives, says the Blue Envelope Program gives officers a tool to recognize when a driver may need additional communication support.
A woman has been charged with shooting a 15-year-old boy outside an indoor track facility near Gately Park in Chicago in 2024, after getting into a fight with another woman during a back-to-school event in the Pullman neighborhood.
Sexual abuse charges were filed this week against a Park City, Illinois, police officer.
Attorneys for the man convicted of the murders of two girls in Delphi, Indiana, have filed a new brief with the Indiana Court of Appeals to overturn his case.
Attorneys for a woman convicted of killing her 69-year-old landlord in Chicago's Arcadia Terrace community have filed an appeal.
