CHICAGO — The messages that worked to persuade unvaccinated people to roll up their sleeves this spring may not work anymore. That’s according to new survey research, which also finds some pro-vaccine messages can backfire and lead to greater hesitancy. The study was conducted by Civis Analytics — a Chicago-based technology company focused on data-driven…
CHAMPAIGN — Champaign-area residents who received the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine and qualify for a booster have many options for getting the shot locally. Awais Vaid, deputy administrator and epidemiologist with the Champaign-Urbana Public Health District, says all local pharmacies and other providers are offering boosters — as well as first and second doses — to anyone…
CHAMPAIGN — Keith Thomas wears many hats in the Champaign-Urbana community. He’s a full-time pastor at Mount Olive Missionary Baptist Church. And he’s also been on the frontlines throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, working as a hospital chaplain at OSF HealthCare. Thomas says the hardest situations he’s been in — as a local chaplain — have…
On a recent Monday morning, a group of preschoolers filed into the gymnasium at Hillside School in the west Chicago suburbs. These 4- and 5-year olds were the first of more than 200 students to get tested for the coronavirus that day — and every Monday — for the foreseeable future. At the front of…
CHAMPAIGN – Immigrants make up about 12% of Champaign County’s total population and have contributed to the county’s economic growth in recent years, contributing tens of millions of dollars in state and local taxes and injecting hundreds of millions of dollars into the local economy. At the same time, the rapid rise in the immigrant…
DANVILLE – The VA hospital in Danville, Ill., has begun accepting non-Veteran patients who need inpatient care. The goal is to relieve some of the strain on other hospitals in the state — in particular, those in southern Illinois that have been stretched thin for weeks due to the latest COVID surge. Dr. Staci Williams,…
URBANA – In some parts of Illinois, the percentage of available intensive care beds has dropped below 20% as the number of COVID hospitalizations has risen over the past month. State data shows the southernmost region of Illinois has only 5% of ICU capacity available. A region in the northwest part of Illinois has about…
SPRINGFIELD – COVID-19 cases are rising once again in Illinois — and most of the U.S. — with the more contagious delta variant now making up the vast majority of new coronavirus cases, according to federal and state data. In Illinois as of mid-August, the delta variant makes up more than 90% of new COVID-19…
When he first became eligible for the coronavirus vaccine in Illinois, Tom Arnold, 68, says he didn’t need any convincing. He raises cattle, hogs and chickens in Elizabeth, a small rural town in the northwest corner of the state. After all, who better to understand why herd immunity matters than a herdsman? “Being a livestock…
URBANA – With COVID-19 cases once again surging — and with the new CDC guidance for mask-wearing announced days ago — how might life change for people in east-central Illinois? The guidance once again calls for universal mask-wearing in indoor public spaces in areas where COVID is surging — defined as having “substantial or high…
UPDATED on Thursday, July 28, 2021 — Illinois Newsroom’s Christine Herman spoke with Champaign-Urbana Public Health Administrator Julie Pryde about what changes people can expect to see locally. Listen to that interview here: The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Tuesday reversed course on its mask guidance, once again suggesting all individuals wear…
CHICAGO – Medicaid is a critical part of the U.S. social safety net, with more than 75 million people enrolled nationwide. The federal-state program provides health coverage for people with limited income and resources — and researchers have been trying to identify issues that may prevent the program from operating as intended. A new study…
CHAMPAIGN – It can be challenging for parents to bond with their new baby when the child ends up hospitalized following the birth. Champaign resident Paige Raab knows that firsthand. Her two traumatic birth experiences — which both resulted in stays in a hospital neonatal intensive care unit, or NICU — led her to launch…
The COVID-19 pandemic has been stressful for many families — and that stress can affect a child’s development, including their language and social skills. Side Effects Public Media recently received questions from audience members through our texting group, the Midwest Checkup, about how the changes wrought by the pandemic may affect child development. To learn…
CHAMPAIGN — Following state and national trends, Champaign County is seeing an uptick in drug overdose deaths and homicides. Over the past five years, the number of people who’ve died from a drug overdose — in both Champaign County and the state of Illinois — has roughly doubled. Last year, 52 Champaign County residents died…