As COVID-19 cases have soared recently in Evanston with the spread of the omicron variant, at least deaths from the disease have not shown a corresponding increase.
For the period from Dec. 1, 2021 through last Friday Evanston has seen 3,705 reported COVID-19 cases, but only five COVID-related deaths. That’s a death rate of 0.16%.
By comparison, between May 1 and June 15, 2020, when Evanston was in the middle of its first surge of COVID cases and before vaccines were available, the city saw 408 cases and 52 deaths. That’s a death rate of 12.7%.
And during the second COVID surge, for the period Dec. 1, 2020 to Jan. 14, 2021, Evanston saw 1,082 COVID cases and 12 deaths, a death rate of 1.1%
When the city releases case figures for the holiday weekend this afternoon, we may begin to get some idea whether cases have peaked here — a phenomenon that is starting to be seen in some states, especially in the Northeast.
But hospitals in the area are still reporting high patient loads and case levels across Cook County are still extremely high.