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Chicago grappling with increase in breakthrough Omicron cases
Chicago Department of Public Health Commissioner Dr. Allison Arwady breaks down the city's ongoing response to COVID-19 and the Omicron variant.
CHICAGO - Chicago's top doctor doubled down Thursday on vaccines being the most effective way to avoid severe illness from COVID-19 as the New Year rapidly approaches.
Chicago Department of Public Health Commissioner Dr. Allison Arwady joined Good Day Chicago to talk about breakthrough cases brought on by the Omicron variant and the city's ongoing fight against the virus.
"We're definitely seeing way more breakthrough [cases] part of this is because Omicron seems to move so much faster than the variants we've seen before," Arwady said. "The theory is the virus is still able to get into your nose, where it can be potentially be spread where it can picked up as a breakthrough infection. But the very good news is, and this is important for people to hear, is that those vaccines are protecting beautifully against more severe illness."
Over 71 percent of all Chicago residents have received at least one vaccine shot and 64 percent have completed a series of doses, according to city data.
The city's COVID positivity rate has ballooned to 16.7 percent, up from 8.6 percent last week.
Arwady said it's important to err on the side of caution if you test positive of COVID, regardless of what kind of test you took.
"If you get a positive test, if it's a home test or any kind of test, treat that test as positive. Don't go out and try to get four more tests, ‘maybe it’s negative' et cetera. Positive is positive. And if you're having cold or flu symptoms right now in Chicago, it is probably COVID," Arwady said.
New CDC guidance released this week shortened the amount of time needed in quarantine from 10 to five days for people who have contracted COVID but are asymptomatic.
Arwady said she has reviewed their data and agrees that asymptomatic people are less likely to spread the virus after only five days of quarantine.
"Omicron is moving faster," Arwady said. This is part of what we're seeing and understanding that it's really very early, right after folks are infected, that they are most likely to be spreading the virus. I feel very comfortable in someone who is feeling well, especially if they're vaccinated and boosted, that in five days they are very unlikely to be shedding the virus."