Illinois began providing COVID-19 hospitalization and resource data only on April 3, 2020, after many groups, including Wirepoints, requested the data be released. The state now provides the data daily on the IDPH website here.

The hospitalization and resource availability numbers shown below are key to knowing if the crisis is subsiding and to determining when parts of the economy can begin to reopen. Wirepoints is now compiling this data so our readers can see how the numbers are trending over time.

Importantly, there are still many key numbers we are not receiving from the state but that are necessary for properly assessing the situation. The data missing includes:

The number of daily COVID-19 hospital admissions and discharges. That’s important data central to understanding how the spread of the coronavirus is progressing.

The comorbidities present in COVID-19 deaths. IDPH does not disclose what percentage of victims had underlying causes. That’s key to understanding what demographics are most vulnerable to the disease. Wirepoints did, however, access the Cook County Medical Examiner’s database to calculate comorbidities for deaths in that county. The results are included below.

The results of antibody testing performed in Illinois. Antibody tests are important because they indicate how much of the population had the coronavirus, with or without symptoms, and are therefore likely to be immune for some period of time. A large prevalence of antibodies in the population would indicate that the effective fatality rate is smaller than first thought.

Click here to visit Wirepoints’ COVID-19 page and learn more about the impact the virus is having on Illinois.

*For optimal data viewing, please ensure your web browser is updated to its most recent release*

IDPH data published as of: Deaths and cases 9/20, hospitalizations and resources 9/19

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Note: The daily new case count on Sept 4. is not an error. The IDPH says it experienced a slowdown in data processing that affected the reporting of tests due to the large volume of testing occurring in Illinois. The resulting backlog of tests was added on the 4th.

Be aware that the Case Fatality Rate, or CFR, shown in the following two charts is not a true measure of the risk of dying. Instead, it is a measure of the number of deaths compared to the number of confirmed cases. The true risk of dying is the Infection Mortality Rate, or IFR, which compares the number of deaths to the total number of people who became infected, which is higher than the number of confirmed cases since many infections go unreported. The IFR is therefore lower than the CFR. The IFR, however, is not estimated or reported by the state. Expert estimates vary substantially, primarily because of uncertainty about how many infections are going unreported. A discussion of the difference between CFR and IFR is linked here. Wirepoints’ piece on the topic is linked here.