The latest
Second potential coronavirus vaccine appears to be 94.5% effective
For the second time this month, there’s promising news from a COVID-19 vaccine candidate: Moderna said Monday its shots provide strong protection, a dash of hope against the grim backdrop of coronavirus surges in the U.S. and around the world.
Moderna said its vaccine appears to be 94.5% effective, according to preliminary data from the company’s still ongoing study. A week ago, competitor Pfizer Inc. announced its own COVID-19 vaccine appeared similarly effective — news that puts both companies on track to seek permission within weeks for emergency use in the U.S.
Dr. Stephen Hoge, Moderna’s president, welcomed the “really important milestone” but said having similar results from two different companies is what’s most reassuring.
“That should give us all hope that actually a vaccine is going to be able to stop this pandemic and hopefully get us back to our lives,” Hoge told The Associated Press.
News
8:28 a.m. Statewide COVID-19 outbreak continues with 10,631 new cases Sunday
Illinois surpassed 10,000 coronavirus cases for the 10th consecutive day on Sunday as state health officials announced 10,631 new coronavirus infections and an additional 72 fatalities.
Sunday’s new cases accounted for roughly 12.5% of the more than 84,800 tests reported to the Illinois Department of Public Health in the last 24 hours.
The state’s seven-day statewide positivity rate — a figure experts use to understand how rapidly the virus is spreading — reached 12.8% Sunday, up from 8% at the start of the month, the state public health department reported.
The surge in cases has led to Illinois hospitals treating the most COVID-19 patients they’ve ever had. As of Saturday night, 5,474 beds were taken up by COVID-19 patients in Illinois hospitals, with 1,045 of those patients in intensive-care units and 490 on ventilators, officials said.
Cook County accounted for 21 of Sunday’s 72 fatalities. Only 16 of those deaths reported statewide were among people under the age of 70, and only six were under 60.
Read the full story from reporter Madeline Kenney here.
New cases
Analysis & Commentary
9:50 a.m. Feeding the hungry grows all the more difficult during a pandemic
The coronavirus has put food banks throughout the United States in a nightmare position. They are dealing with higher demand, declining financial donations and fewer people who can volunteer.
Locally, the Greater Chicago Food Depository is bracing for a loss of volunteers because of this fall’s big surge in COVID-19 cases and the city’s new stay-at-home advisory.
In the fiscal year that ended on June 30, the food depository distributed more than 93 million pounds of food, the equivalent of 77.5 million meals. It was by far the most food the depository has distributed in its 41-year history.
“There is an increase in need,” Greg Trotter, spokesman for the depository, told the Sun-Times. “With winter coming and the pandemic raging on, we are very worried.”
The Greater Chicago Food Depository serves a network of more than 700 food kitchens, shelters and pantries, organizations that this fall are providing food to 50% more people each month than they were in January.
7:18 a.m. He went to the hospital in the morning. By mid-afternoon, he was dead from COVID-19.
John Sprinkle of Evergreen Park observed his 36th birthday Nov. 4.
He didn’t celebrate because he had been feeling sick. But he went on Facebook the following day to thank everyone for wishing him well.
The next morning, having trouble breathing, he called 911 to take him to the hospital. He was able to walk to the ambulance and waved to a neighbor.
A couple of hours later, he texted his sister from the emergency room, saying he was feeling better.
At 3:38 that afternoon, Sprinkle was dead from acute respiratory failure caused by COVID-19.
Just like that.
The toll from the coronavirus pandemic is mounting again, much like it was in the spring, and I’ve decided to return to what I was doing then: telling the stories of the victims.
