Read more about the article COVID-19 Testing Accessibility: Disparities, Barriers and Plans For FutureCU-CitizenAccess
Cars in line at the Marketplace mall COVID-19 testing center in mid-November. When a car reaches the end of the line, a worker guides them through a 20-second, self-administered nasal swab.

COVID-19 Testing Accessibility: Disparities, Barriers and Plans For Future

There has been concern nationally about the ability of people of color to get tested for COVID-19, especially because they have been identified as more vulnerable to the virus. Melaney Arnold, public health information officer at the Illinois Department of Public Health, wrote in an email, “The data show Black and Hispanic populations are disproportionately impacted by COVID-19.”

Continue ReadingCOVID-19 Testing Accessibility: Disparities, Barriers and Plans For Future
Read more about the article Calculation of COVID-19 positivity rate by university produces lower numbers than state
The Illinois Department of Public Health reports 7-day rolling averages of the COVID-19 test positivity rate for each region of Illinois. Champaign County, home of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, is part of region 6 which has experienced 8 days of positivity increases, reaching 12.2% on November 8.

Calculation of COVID-19 positivity rate by university produces lower numbers than state

The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign’s revised calculation of the campus positivity rate of COVID-19 has potentially lowered the rate substantially by reducing the number of reported positive tests. Epidemiologists say the more accurate way to calculate positivity would be to divide unique positive tests by unique total tests, but that information is not always available.

Continue ReadingCalculation of COVID-19 positivity rate by university produces lower numbers than state
Read more about the article U of I COVID-19 cases surge as total cases surpass 3,000Pam Dempsey/CU-CitizenAccess.org
A tent and signs indicate a Covid-19 testing site at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign's Alice Campbell Alumni Center on Friday, July 31, 2020. The University is conducting free saliva tests for faculty, staff and students with results typically known within 48 hours.

U of I COVID-19 cases surge as total cases surpass 3,000

The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign has reported 3,421 cases since students began returning to campus on August 15 despite university researchers predicting only 700 Covid-19 cases on campus by Thanksgiving.

Continue ReadingU of I COVID-19 cases surge as total cases surpass 3,000

Reported daily COVID-19 cases vary widely for Champaign County, U of I cases

The highest number reported by the state was September 8, which indicated delayed reporting. The county's highest number was 356 cases on Sept. 11. County public health officials said their case numbers lag behind the state and university because they take time to confirm positive cases.

Continue ReadingReported daily COVID-19 cases vary widely for Champaign County, U of I cases
Read more about the article Beds in emergency hallways perilous during pandemic, experts sayGoogle Street View
OSF Heart of Mary as it appears on Google Maps Street View on October 16, 2020.

Beds in emergency hallways perilous during pandemic, experts say

Carle Foundation Hospital is routinely treating people in beds in the hallways of the emergency room at its Urbana facility on University Avenue, although the practice has come under criticism by health experts. The practice is generally done because a hospital is at overcapacity and does not have room for patients and is known as “boarding.” Boarding has been criticized because negative effects can include death, preventable disability, prolonged hospital stays and general discomfort.

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Read more about the article The University Of Illinois Dials Back Statements About FDA Authorization For Its COVID-19 TestPhoto: Christine Herman/Illinois Newsroom
The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign requires students and employees get tested regularly for COVID-19, using a saliva-based test developed by its own researchers.

The University Of Illinois Dials Back Statements About FDA Authorization For Its COVID-19 Test

The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign’s saliva-based COVID-19 test has never operated under emergency use authorization from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, despite prior claims that it did, an FDA spokesperson tells Illinois Newsroom. So far, campus officials say the U of I has been contacted by 35 organizations, including other universities, expressing interest in adopting the campus’ Shield program, which involves testing, contact tracing and other mitigation measures.

Continue ReadingThe University Of Illinois Dials Back Statements About FDA Authorization For Its COVID-19 Test
Read more about the article University of Illinois COVID-19 cases surge past official predictionsUniversity of Illinois
The logo for the University of Illinois's COVID-19 SHIELD saliva-based testing.

University of Illinois COVID-19 cases surge past official predictions

University of Illinois officials reported 1,754 new cases from Aug. 15 when students started coming back to campus, through Sept. 8, although a team of researchers working directly for the university administration had projected only 500 to 700 cases by Thanksgiving.

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Read more about the article Champaign-Urbana emergency orders fall short of researchers’ recommendationsReddit
Photos are being captured of University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign student gatherings and parties as they return to campus. This gathering, located at Green Street Towers on August 21, 2020, was posted to Reddit, shaming students for ignoring city orders and not wearing masks amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Champaign-Urbana emergency orders fall short of researchers’ recommendations

The cities of Champaign and Urbana both issued emergency orders intended to prevent a possible surge in COVID-19 cases as students return to campus for the fall semester. Illinois researchers Eric Jakobsson and Santiago Nunez-Corrales created a computer model that estimated that students will bring back nine times the viral load – or rate of disease – than of community members. In a letter to both city councils, they recommended the cities, all bars and restaurants return to having only curbside pick-up, delivery or drive through. They said without those measures there could be an additional 800 cases, 80 more hospitalizations and four more deaths.

Continue ReadingChampaign-Urbana emergency orders fall short of researchers’ recommendations
Read more about the article Returning international students from countries with lower infection rates of COVID-19 than the U.S.Pam Dempsey/CU-CitizenAccess
A tent and signs indicate a Covid-19 testing site at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign's Alice Campbell Alumni Center on Friday, July 31, 2020. The University is conducting free saliva tests for faculty, staff and students with results typically known within 48 hours.

Returning international students from countries with lower infection rates of COVID-19 than the U.S.

Most of the international students from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign’s 2019-2020 academic year are from countries with lower daily Covid-19 infection rates than the United States, according to a CU-CitizenAccess analysis. Last spring, 9,824 international students attended the University from more than 100 countries, according to university data.

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Read more about the article Reports on “recovered” COVID-19 cases inconsistent and incomplete; Numbers elusive and may mislead on real medical impact of virusDylan Tiger
A Midwest Center for Investigative Reporting review of state health data found four primary categories of definitions for "recovered" COVID-19 patients. See below for an interactive version.

Reports on “recovered” COVID-19 cases inconsistent and incomplete; Numbers elusive and may mislead on real medical impact of virus

As Covid-19 surges again in the U.S., the high percentage of "recovered" cases might be cited as a sign that a vast majority of those infected quickly rid themselves of the virus. But the “recovered” statistics are incomplete, inconsistent and call into question the accuracy of any total number of recovered cases, according to a review of 50 state public health sites by CU-CitizenAccess.org.

Continue ReadingReports on “recovered” COVID-19 cases inconsistent and incomplete; Numbers elusive and may mislead on real medical impact of virus