Illinois: 30,000 new COVID-19 cases reported over past week

Since last Friday, August 27, 2021, the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) reported 30,319 new confirmed and probable cases of coronavirus  (COVID-19) in Illinois, including 178 additional deaths.

According to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 78 percent of Illinois adults have gotten at least one COVID-19 vaccine dose, and more than 61 percent of Illinois people are completely vaccinated.

As of Thursday night, 2,286 people in Illinois had been diagnosed with COVID-19 and were in the hospital. There were 551 ICU patients and 302 COVID-19 patients on ventilators.

185,014 people have reported since Friday, August 27, 2021.

What is the mu variant of the coronavirus?

The discovery of mu variant in Colombia in January and has since caused  isolated outbreaks in South America, Europe, and the United States.

Because of fears that it could make vaccines and treatments less effective, the World Health Organization classified it as a “variant of interest” last month, though additional data is needed.