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CDPH's Dr. Arwady: Between 125,000 and 180,000 Chicagoans have active, infectious COVID right now. That's 1 in 15 Chicagoans. "That is why the risk of gathering is significant. It's why we've recommended that you not have anybody over into your home right now." https://twitter.com/chicagosmayor/status/1328775633036460034
Cases continue to increase across all ethnicities, ages, and zip codes, Arwady says. "We are seeing high case rates among people in their 20s, 30s, and 40s... every age group has seen these significant increases, including Chicagoans over 60, over 70 and over 80."
Arwady: We have 3x as many people hospitalized but not in the ICU as we did in early October.
We're averaging 256 in Chicago with COVID in the ICU.
We have more than 4x as many people with COVID on ventilators in Chicago hospitals as we did in early October.
We're averaging 256 in Chicago with COVID in the ICU.
We have more than 4x as many people with COVID on ventilators in Chicago hospitals as we did in early October.
Please do cancel your traditional Thanksgiving plans, Arwady says. "This year, I'll be staying home, I'll be having that celebration over Facetime or Zoom," instead of traveling to Michigan. "Please make that same decision."
Arwady: Vaccine trials are not done yet. They go until a predetermined endpoint when a certain number of people have gotten COVID and there's been enough time to collect required safety data. One of the only good things about the COVID surge is it's made vaccine trials go faster.
We're expecting trials to finish in the next few weeks and to then be reviewed by the FDA. If data from trials looks as good as interim data, and if safety data looks good, "I think it is likely that we may see the 1st emergency use authorization FDA approval" in next few weeks.
"We've been ready, and we are ready, to start COVID-19 vaccine administration when trials are done and when we're sure that the safety and efficacy data looks good," Dr. Arwady says. HOWEVER, "the initial supply will be limited."
They'll receive tens of thousands of doses.
They'll receive tens of thousands of doses.
Healthcare workers will receive the vaccination first.
Arwady: It will be months before the vaccine is widely available. Will not be for the first quarter of 2021. That means we need to do the same thing to control COVID spread as we have been doing until then.
Healthcare workers in hospitals, taking care of COVID-19 patients, and doing procedures that put them at higher risk, will be prioritized first. First responders are also going to be prioritized, and long-term-care facility residents will likely follow.
CDPH has been acquiring supplies needed for vaccine administration, expanded capacity for vaccine storage at multiple temperature levels ("we have freezers that can maintain that temperature"), logistical planning for storage and handling, and test runs of Chicago-based clinics.
Arwady: "We do not know yet how many doses we will be receiving," but expect tens of thousands. If perhaps, across the first two vaccines we receive enough to vaccinate 150,000 people, what would that look like? We have more than 150,000 healthcare workers in Chicago.
Arwady: One of the most challenging things is taking this down from the very high level - thinking about doses that come in a package, how it's divided and sent out.
CDPH has enough room for 135,000 ultra-cold doses. Other hospitals have capacity for ultra-cold storage, too, Arwady says.
"We're not quite ready to get into the specifics" of a vaccine campaign, but at a high level we've started conversations with partners, Arwady says. Some of the work of "Protect Chicago" is laying groundwork for vaccine info distributed to the public when it's time.
Arwady: "Our whole country is fighting with COVID, and I cannot say at an individual level, you get an exception, you get an exception, you get an exception. The ask for everybody is not to travel and to have a different and probably virtual Thanksgiving celebration."
Arwady points out that even if your bubble is small, other members of your bubble have their own bubble that could infect you.
For more on the difficult logistics of rolling out a COVID vaccine here, read @steph_goldberg: https://www.chicagobusiness.com/health-care/illinois-will-have-vaccinate-10-million-people-against-covid-what-could-go-wrong via @crainschicago
