Coronavirus cases in Illinois reach 25
CHICAGO - The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Illinois has risen to 25, Gov. J.B. Pritzker announced Wednesday.
The six new cases are a Lake County man in his 50s, and five Chicago/Cook County cases: a man in 80s, two men in their 70s, a woman in her 50s and a man in 40s, according to Dr. Ngozi Ezike, director of the Illinois Department of Public Health.
Dr. Allison Arwady, commissioner of the Chicago Department of Public Health, said she expects the number of cases in the city and state to “continue to grow.”
Earlier Wednesday, Mayor Lori Lightfoot announced that the city’s St. Patrick’s Day parades would be postponed due to concerns over coronavirus.
MAP: This is where there are confirmed coronavirus cases in the US and around the world
For most people, the new coronavirus causes only mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia.
In the U.S., the number of coronavirus cases has topped 1,000. Worldwide, more than 119,000 have been infected, and more than 4,200 have died.
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The vast majority of people recover from the new virus. According to the World Health Organization, people with mild illness recover in about two weeks, while those with more severe illness may take three to six weeks to recover.
Associated Press contributed to this report.