Seasonal & Holidays

How COVID-19 Changed IL And What To Expect In 2021

As we head into 2021, mass vaccination, which could happen by summer, is being lauded as our ticket out of the pandemic.

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Alyssa Miller, a nurse who helped care for the first COVID-19 patients in Illinois, receives the first dose of her Pfizer shot on Dec. 17.
Alyssa Miller, a nurse who helped care for the first COVID-19 patients in Illinois, receives the first dose of her Pfizer shot on Dec. 17. (AMITA Health)

ILLINOIS — In late January, a husband and wife became the first confirmed cases of coronavirus reported in Illinois.

At the time, the wife — a woman in her 60s — was the second known patient in the United States diagnosed with the virus. She is believed to have contracted it while visiting China in late December and early January.

She returned to Chicago on Jan. 13. Her husband, who had not traveled with her, also became sick and tested positive for the virus, health officials said. Since then, 955,380 Illinoisans have contracted the virus, and 16,357 have died from it, according to the latest data from the Illinois Department of Public Health.

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In comparison, around 2,400 people die from the flu or pneumonia each year in Illinois, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This year, COVID-19 became one of the top causes of death in the state, just behind heart disease and cancer.

Time is more important than money

This virus has harmed the economy, closed restaurants and retailers and left offices empty. Daily business is now conducted via Zoom; and with classrooms closed, working parents have been pushed to the brink. Children — and adults — have been isolated from friends and extended family, leading to feelings of isolation and sadness for many.

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Coronavirus has changed the way we live in almost every way.

For Sonny Sultani, an Evanston CEO and COVID-19 survivor, his six weeks of self-isolation — including weeks when he was very sick — even changed his views.

"Now my value, in terms of money, has shifted completely," he said. "Money is important, for sure, but all my values have changed into time. It's who I give it to, when I give it and how I give it that's really the most important thing right now. I want to spend more time with the family, I really do. Six weeks I didn't get to hang out with the boys, and prior to that, when I worked, they weren't really my single, No. 1 priority.

"I didn't always give them the time, but now it's all I want to do," Sultani continued. "All I want to do is play with the boys and spend time with the family."

Others have not been as fortunate.

Emilio Cuahquentzi, the manager at a Butera grocery store in Elgin, lost his battle with the virus in May — just one day after his wife, Elizabeth, was taken off a ventilator at the same hospital where the couple had been fighting the virus together, according to a friend of the family.

The day after Christmas, the virus claimed the life of 18-year-old Sarah Simental of Tinley Park. She had no known underlying medical conditions.

The best and the worst

COVID-19 has wreaked havoc on our health care system, filled our hospitals and forced medical workers to endure grueling shifts. But the virus has also spurred many medical professionals to go above and beyond the call of duty to comfort the sick and dying.

Alyssa Miller, a nurse who cared for those first patients — the husband and wife diagnosed with COVID-19 in late January — is one of many health care workers who’ve done their best. The couple was brought to her hospital, St. Alexius Medical Center in Hoffman Estates, at a time when very little was known about the virus.

She made sure to check in on the wife, their first patient, to make sure she wasn’t lonely.

“We provided her with a lot of emotional support, as she was in isolation. We suggested family bring in items and food to help comfort her and remind her she was not alone,” Miller said Thursday. “We tried to offer her as much emotional support as possible, as we could only imagine how she must have felt.”

Alyssa Miller, a nurse for St. Alexius Medical Center in Hoffman Estates, was the first AMITA Health employee to receive her COVID-19 vaccine in recent weeks. (Courtesy of Amita Health)

Miller said that since then, nurses have found ways to make sure COVID-19 patients stay connected to others. They keep them in touch with their families by giving them iPads and encouraging them to make video calls.

“Over the last 11 months, as a nursing team, we have learned the importance of providing patients who have been isolated in the hospital with emotional support. Being away from your family, friends and life in general can be very hard,” Miller said in an email response Thursday. “Then to be isolated in a room all by yourself with medical staff coming in and out all day can be emotionally exhausting for these patients.”

The couple recovered. But since they were the first to contract the virus in the state, their cases were followed closely by the media — from their release from the hospital on Feb. 7 to the moment they were finally cleared from home isolation on Feb. 18.

"Our two Illinois residents with confirmed coronavirus disease 2019 have recovered from their illnesses, and there has been no further spread of the virus from these two cases," said IDPH Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike in mid-February. "The risk to the general public remains low, and we are continuing to use every tool at our disposal to keep our community safe."

The couple was allowed to resume normal activities after testing negative for the virus several times, and medical personnel urged the public to respect the couple’s privacy and to “be kind to them.”

"They have been through a lot. We thank them, and everyone else involved, for their cooperation throughout the process; including the hospital, health care workers, public health employees and contacts who were later ruled out,” said CCDPH Chief Operating Officer Dr. Terry Mason.

Around that same time, officials began giving the public health message that has since been repeated over and over: Keep your distance, at least 6 feet, and wash your hands. We also saw some crazy hoarding happening among residents afraid they would run out of essential supplies if the state shut down.

It became hard to find toilet paper, bleach products or Lysol wipes at the store. And we started reporting on people who were coughing on other people, even police officers, claiming they had the virus.

Without a doubt, this virus has brought out the best and worst in people.

First deaths, nursing homes are hit hard

In mid-March, the state saw its first confirmed death due to COVID-19. The Chicago woman who died, a woman in her 60s with underlying medical conditions, contracted the virus from someone else who had COVID-19. But she hadn’t had any contact with a nursing home, Patch reported on March 17.

"I want to extend my deepest condolences to her family members," Gov. J.B. Pritzker said during a press conference that day. "I want them to know that the entire state of Illinois mourns with them. May her memory be a blessing."

At that time in mid-March, there were 22 confirmed cases in nursing homes. Health officials were watching nursing homes closely as outbreaks and deaths soared from March to May. To date, 7,910 deaths — or 48 percent of all COVID-19 deaths in the state — have been linked to nursing homes, according to IDPH statistics.

In the Chicago area, about 10 percent of long-term care residents who contract the virus have died. Comparably speaking, only 1.4 percent of the general population diagnosed with the virus have lost their battle with COVID-19 in Illinois.

As cases began to spike again this past fall, outbreaks returned to nursing homes. On Dec. 21, the state saw its highest weekly number of deaths linked to nursing homes: 605.

Vaccines are our 'ticket out'

As Illinois and the nation look to find a way past the pandemic, recently approved vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna offer glimmers of hope.

Vaccinations for the state’s 110,000 long-term care residents began after Christmas. Both the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines require two doses administered about a month apart. And it's been two weeks since the first vaccines were given to front-line health care workers.

To date, less than 1 percent of the state's population has been vaccinated. As of the week prior to New Year's, state health officials said more than 126,000 Illinoisans had received their first dose of the vaccine.

Without vaccination, the U.S. could see another two to three years of living with the virus, hundreds of thousands more dead and continued economic disparity, Robert Citronberg, executive medical director of infectious disease and prevention for Advocate Aurora Health, said during a recent press conference. With the vaccine, he said, life could be back to normal by the end of June 2021.

That's the best-case scenario, if enough people get vaccinated.

"We don't get out of this without mass vaccination," Citronberg said.

Some experts say herd immunity — the benchmark when life could return to normal — will occur when more than 80 percent of the population has received vaccinations. Until then, public health protocol continues to be paramount: Wear a mask, keep your distance, wash your hands and get your flu shot if you haven’t already.

"Because we have this vaccine, because we have hope we haven't seen in months, it does not mean the pandemic itself is over. Quite the opposite," Chicago Mayor Lightfoot said Monday as she urged people to stay home from work if they feel sick.

Nationally, vaccine distribution has been slow going and behind schedule. To date, Illinois is among only a handful of states that has distributed more than 100,000 vaccines.

The state currently has more than 366,000 vaccine doses available and is working to get those to hospitals. The governor on Dec. 23 lauded state and local public health, emergency management and hospital teams in "maximizing efficiency and minimizing waste" during the first phase of the rollout of the coronavirus vaccine.

Luz Movido, the first staffer at Vista East Medical Center in Waukegan to be vaccinated, has worked as a registered nurse in the emergency room and intensive care unit at Vista East since the beginning of the pandemic. After seeing what the virus can do, and the side effects it can leave for those who do recover, Movido said earlier this month she was not at all hesitant to receive her shot.

"Just the fact that we are here to get a vaccine brings hopes," she said. "It's been very hard for the staff members and the families, so hopefully this is the beginning to the end. And we can look forward to normal life and things kind of going back to normal."

Who gets the vaccine and when?

The first vaccinations were doled out on Dec. 17 in Illinois, but it could take four months to vaccinate the first two priority groups slated to receive shots, state health officials said in early December. That first group includes health care workers and long-term care residents and employees, and makes up about 810,000 of the state's population of 12.6 million, according to the governor.

The state will likely follow the guidance put forth by the Centers for Disease Control’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, or ACIP, in determining additional priority groups. Illinois is not required to follow the committee’s guidelines but Pritzker has said Illinois would likely heed advice given by the highly regarded experts.

"We think their recommendations are very important for us to pay attention to and, likely, to follow," Pritzker said in recent weeks. "There are some things that they are silent on within their recommendations, and so there are decisions that need to be made within those. And that's why, after ACIP gives recommendations, you'll see what the Illinois implementation of that will look like."

Here is a look at who ACIP is currently recommending as those who should be next up to receive the vaccine after medical personnel and long-term care residents and staff:

Phase 1b

  • Front-line essential workers such as firefighters, police officers, corrections officers, food and agricultural workers, U.S. Postal Service workers, manufacturing workers, grocery store workers, public transit workers, and those who work in the educational sector (teachers, support staff and day care workers.)
  • People ages 75 years and older because they are at high risk of hospitalization, illness and death from COVID-19. People age 75 years and older who are also residents of long-term care facilities should be offered vaccination in Phase 1a.

Phase 1c

  • People age 65-74 years because they are at high risk of hospitalization, illness and death from COVID-19.
  • People age 16-64 years with underlying medical conditions, which increase the risk of serious, life-threatening complications from COVID-19.
  • Other essential workers, such as people who work in transportation and logistics, food service, housing construction and finance, information technology, communications, energy, law, media, public safety and public

Sports canceled, schools closed, events called off

This past spring, the governor acted quickly to shut down the state as COVID-19 cases and deaths began to increase.

Days before the St. Patrick’s Day weekend, when the Illinois case count hit 32, Pritzker mandated all events of 1,000 people or more be canceled or postponed immediately, and recommended all events with 250 people or more also be called off.

That same day, the MLB delayed the 2020 season and canceled spring training games. Pritzker said he spoke with the owners of all Chicago sports teams and that they were on board with canceling all major sporting events until at least May 1.

The following day, on March 13, Pritzker announced all Illinois schools would close starting March 17 and continuing through March 30. At that time, Illinois became the eighth state in the U.S. to implement widespread school closures in hopes of slowing the spread of the virus.

"This is a larger part of our social distancing efforts," Pritzker said in March, adding, "having the general public staying home will have a massive effect on bending this curve and that means lives saved."

"This isn't coming; it's here," Pritzker said. "We may have to live with it for awhile. There is no vaccine, and there is no direct treatment. Let's get ahead of this."

The school closure announcement came the Friday before the St. Patrick’s Day weekend. Days earlier, organizers for the South Side Irish Parade as well as those running St. Patrick's Day festivals and parades in Chicago, St. Charles and Dundee announced the events would be canceled. At that time, 60 percent of readers in a Patch poll said they disagreed with decisions to cancel Chicago parades.

That weekend, despite the warnings from public health officials, thousands hit the streets and bars in Chicago and area suburbs to celebrate. During his Saturday press conference, Pritzker urged residents to stay home.

“We saw a lot of crowds out and about today,” Pritzker said. “And I need to be frank. We can have a massive positive effect on bending the transmission curve, thereby saving lives, if people will take this seriously.”

Bars and restaurants shuttered

The next day, Pritzker, angered over the revelers that continued to enjoy their green beer and not keep six feet from each other, ordered all Illinois bars and restaurants closed.

At the time, Sam Toia, president and CEO of the Illinois Restaurant Association, said public safety was the group's No. 1 concern.

"Close to 400 people died last night in Italy," Toia said. "We were informed by the governor this afternoon that this was necessary to mitigate" the spread of coronavirus.

"We will remain diligent to help employers," he continued. "We will advocate on behalf of economic relief for employees and small businesses."

Stay-at-home order

Just three days after the state reported its first death, the death toll had increased to five, and 585 cases were being reported in 25 counties across Illinois.

On March 20, Illinois health officials estimated as many as 3,400 residents could test positive for coronavirus by the following week based on the steep jump in cases — a 700 percent increase.

With that in mind, the governor issued the state's stay-at-home order the same day, which required residents to hunker down at home and only go out for essentials. At that time, only California and New York had issued similar orders.

Illinois' stay-at-home order shut down offices, sending those who commuted and worked in office buildings home to work for months. Many still remain there. It closed many retailers, but grocery stores, liquor stores and gas stations remained open. Only day care centers were exempt from the order and could remain open, but most closed.

Salons also closed, as did many small businesses and retailers. Most businesses, especially restaurants and bars, saw profits crash. They tried to shift to offering curbside pickup, cocktails to go and other creative solutions.

Deaths surge

Also in March, state health officials issued guidelines banning visitors from nursing homes. Still, outbreaks at nursing homes soared with more and more deaths reported. Starting in April, the state first began to see more than 100 deaths per day. April 19 was the darkest day of the spring surge, when 191 lost their lives to the virus.

In recent weeks, the state surpassed that grim record. On Dec. 2, a total of 238 people died from COVID-19.

In late April in Lake County, 65 percent of COVID-19 deaths were in nursing homes. And in early May, 53 percent of COVID-19 patients were in just five of the county's 25 long-term facilities with reported cases.

Related:

On April 23, the stay-at-home order was extended through late May. And on May 1, an updated stay-at-home order was issued, with modifications that allowed some state parks and additional businesses to reopen, though many retailers were only permitted to do online orders and curbside pickup.

Also, starting on May 1, all Illinois residents were required to wear masks. Pritzker announced his five-phase reopening plan the same day. Illinois remained in Phase 2 through the rest of May before moving onto Phase 3, which saw many businesses reopen that had been closed for months. Outdoor dining was allowed, youth sports returned, and many who’d forgone a haircut, or had a relative lop off their locks, were able to visit a salon again.

But, just as we appeared to be on the right track, on May 25, news over the death of George Floyd rocked the nation.

Related:

George Floyd's death sparks nationwide protests

Protests over Floyd's death erupted across the country leading to civil unrest in several towns in early June, including incidents in Naperville and Chicago. Demonstrators damaged businesses, and looting followed, forcing some leaders in towns and cities in the Chicago area to enact a curfew.

Leaders, who’d already been blasting President Donald Trump for dropping the ball regarding his COVID-19 response, kept their voices loud. On June 2, Chicago's Lightfoot said if he made good on a threat to send military forces to Chicago to quell violence and looting, the city would take legal action.

"I will see him in court. It's not going to happen. Not in my city. I'm not confident the president has the power to do that, but we have our lawyers hard at work, and if he tries to do that and usurp the power of our governor and myself, as the mayor, we will see him in court," Lightfoot said.

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A glimpse of 'normalcy'

As we headed into June, coronavirus had killed more than 5,200 Illinois residents.

But by the end of the month, the state had seen a steady decrease in cases and deaths. And unlike some other states, most Illinois residents seemed on board with wearing masks. We polled 11,000 Patch readers in late June on their thoughts regarding masks, and 73 percent said they always wear one.

About the same amount said businesses should ban those who choose not to wear a mask.

By the end of the month, the state entered Phase 4, which allowed Illinoisans a glimpse of “normalcy,” and life as we knew it before COVID-19. New guidelines, which took effect June 24, allowed for indoor dining, museums reopened, and gyms and fitness centers rebooted their operations.

The Brookfield Zoo, which closed in late March, reopened its outdoor areas for zoo members starting on July 1 and to the rest of the public on July 8. Theaters and cinemas were also allowed to reopen.

Pritzker, at the time, gave Illinois residents rave reviews.

"Over the last four months, Illinoisans have pulled together with the common mission of keeping each other safe. By staying home and practicing social distancing, the rate of new COVID-19 cases continues to drop and each region throughout the state is prepared to move to Phase 4 of the Restore Illinois plan," he said in late June.

He also announced schools were on track to reopen in the fall, but students would be required to wear masks and follow new rules.

Other Top Stories From June:

In July, schools began to grapple with how to teach in the fall, with some opting to return with a hybrid model and others choosing to stay remote. As cases started to rise as we headed into the fall, most ended up opting to go fully remote.

Also over the summer, more COVID-19 cases were reported among young adults and teens. Sports camps — including include one at Lake Zurich High School, where 36 students tested positive for the virus — were among the spots younger people were contracting the virus.

Many businesses, especially restaurants, that were still open to indoor service were forced to close after employees or cases were linked back to the establishment.

For only the second time ever, officials with the Chicago Marathon decided in July to cancel the race.

Other top articles from July and August:

Cases, deaths spike again, Businesses defy orders

A notable uptick in cases, and then deaths, happened in the months and increased as we headed into the holiday season. In November, all health regions in Illinois had again banned indoor dining — but this time, many restaurants decided to defy the order, continuing to allow customers to sit inside.

Related:

Some restaurant owners filed lawsuits against the state as they tried to keep their businesses open.

State officials repeatedly reiterated statistics that show COVID-19 is easily transmitted inside bars and restaurants. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, dining at bars and restaurants is closely linked to the spread of the virus in many communities.

Adults who tested positive for the virus were approximately twice as likely to have reported dining at a restaurant than those with negative test results, according to a CDC study published in September. Experts now believe the coronavirus is airborne, and tiny droplets containing the virus can linger indoors for hours as aerosols, making indoor dining especially risky since diners can't wear masks while eating.

"The effect on businesses from this virus is tragic," Pritzker said in late October. "But people are dying. We now have hospitalizations going up; they're almost double what they were just two weeks ago. This is an extraordinarily dangerous virus and this is an extraordinarily dangerous time."

Other resturants erected heated tents for the winter or put out fire pits, domes and other structures to try to keep outdoor diners warm and profits flowing.

'We've made it this far'

A stay-at-home recommendation, not an order, was issued Nov. 11 with the hopes of keeping cases from spiking more and hospitals filling up. While the state appeared to make it through the Thanksgiving holiday without a notable surge, we are again seeing an uptick in cases. A week ago on Christmas Eve, 96 new deaths were reported across the state.

And 4,488 people spent the holiday in the hospital with COVID-19, including 944 in intensive care and 518 on ventilators.

As we head into the new year — which could include New Year's Eve celebrations at homes, bars or restaurants — state health officials are continuing to urge residents to stay home and participate in virtual calls with friends and family instead of in-person gatherings.

With vaccinations a possibility in the near future for most, state health Director Ezike urged caution in recent weeks.

"Let's think about this: If we've made it this far in the pandemic, with the finish line starting to come into sight, you deserve for you and your family and your friends to make it all the way to the other side," Ezike said. "We've come too far to turn back now."

Thanks for following along with Patch.com in 2020. You can find all of our "Finding Our Way Forward" articles here.

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