Fall 2023 COVID-19 Updates & Guidance
Friday, September 29, 2023
As a healthcare facility, UI Health is committed to COVID-19 safety measures for patients, visitors, and staff.
The number of COVID-19 cases has been increasing, and that trend is expected to continue in the near future. However, almost all of Illinois remains categorized as low transmission, and hospitalizations and deaths are still relatively low. For example, in the last week of August this year, nationally there were 17,400 hospital admissions. This compares to 37,000 at the same time in 2022, and 86,000 at the same time in 2021. COVID-19 will be with us for the indefinite future, but cases tend to be less severe compared to previous waves of COVID-19.
Vaccinating Against COVID-19
The FDA and CDC recently approved updated COVID-19 vaccines for the fall/winter virus season and are recommending that everyone six months and older get an updated COVID-19 vaccine. The UI Health community is strongly encouraged to take advantage of the new vaccine, especially those with risk factors for severe infection.
The new vaccine will be available at UI Health soon. We will share more information at Vaccine.UIHealth.Care on how to receive the updated vaccines as they become available.
Maintain Safe Environments to Reduce Transmission
Remain diligent in your practices to maintain a safe environment and to keep levels of hospitalization for COVID-19 at a low level. To help maintain a safe environment, please follow these guidelines:
- Practice good hygiene, washing your hands often and avoiding touching your face.
- As always, if you’re sick, stay home and do not come to work.
- If you develop COVID-19-related symptoms, you will need to get tested. Specific testing locations can be found through the CDC testing locator or through your provider, pharmacy, or home testing.
Latest Guidance: COVID-19 Isolation & Treatment
- If you have COVID-19, isolate for at least five (5) days. If after 5 days your symptoms are improving, you can exit isolation but should remain masked around others for an additional 5 days.
- Oral antiviral treatments are widely available for persons testing positive for COVID-19. Those with risk factors for severe disease should talk to their provider about treatments.
- Consider wearing a mask in settings where individuals may have symptoms of COVID-19 or other respiratory viruses, or in settings where people may be at risk for severe infection.
Get the Flu Shot as an Additional Way to Protect Yourself
The season of respiratory viruses is underway, so make plans to get a flu shot, as well as the updated COVID-19 vaccine. Flu shots are the best way to protect against the contagious respiratory illnesses that influenza viruses cause and decrease co-infection with COVID-19 or other respiratory viruses. These vaccines help you and others stay healthy.
