An early look at the performance of COVID-19 booster shots during the recent omicron wave in the U.S. showed a decline in effectiveness against severe cases, though the shots still offered strong protection. 

Niles, a northwest Chicago suburb. It’s well known for its landmark replica of the Leaning Tower of Pisa, but it’s also a community thinking about how to revamp one of its anchor businesses for the future. There are efforts to redevelop Golf Mill mall, a nearby park, and plans to improve infrastructure and pedestrian safety.

At this point in the coronavirus pandemic, local mask mandates are disappearing quickly while at the national level, the guidance to wear masks is staying put, at least for now. So, should you mask up or not? Infectious disease experts have some advice for wherever you live.

Up to 7 million immune-compromised Americans have been left behind in the nation’s wobbly efforts to get back to normal. Not only do these fragile patients remain at high risk of severe illness and death from COVID-19, they can harbor lengthy infections that can help spark still more variants.

Masks will still be required in most Illinois schools as state officials ask an appellate court to reverse a decision by a Sangamon County judge who ended the mask mandate in some Illinois schools, Gov. J.B. Pritzker said.

After decades of disinvestment, two new grocery stores are being built on Chicago’s West Side — something residents have long awaited as other grocery store chains closed up shop. We spoke with two local owners about their investment in the community and what lies ahead on the road to development.

It’s too early to know for sure, but many doctors believe it’s possible to have long-term effects from the omicron variant of the virus.

“I’m the first person who wants to make sure we’re removing mitigations when we can keep people safe and healthy,” Gov. J.B. Pritzker said at an unrelated press event Tuesday afternoon. 

University of Chicago Medicine has proposed building a $633 million cancer center in hopes of addressing health inequities on the South Side, while also easing some of the medical center’s capacity constraints.

The American Medical Association notes as many as 38% of health care workers face violence during their careers and that those in the field were 50% more likely to be harassed, threatened, or hurt during the COVID pandemic.

A year after winning a major court battle against the opening of so-called safe injection sites — safe havens for people to use heroin and other narcotics with protections against fatal overdoses — the Justice Department is signaling it might be open to allowing them.

The White House has told CNN that federal officials are “thinking about” what comes next, after the United States transitions out of the current COVID-19 emergency and into a greater state of normalcy – but officials still have not released a plan for that transition.

A new study has found cannabidiol or CBD can block COVID-19 infection in human cells and mice, but don’t rush out and buy products from your local dispensary. Here’s what you need to know about the study and where things stand with COVID-19 treatments.  

New cases per day have tanked by almost a half-million nationwide since mid-January, the curve trending downward in every state but Maine. And the number of Americans in the hospital with COVID-19 has fallen 15% over that period to about 124,000.

In the fall, UCAN announced Christa Hamilton would be the first female and first Black person to lead the organization. More recently, lifetime resident pastor James Brooks became the CEO of the Lawndale Christian Health Center.

As snowfall pelts the region, outreach workers in Chicago are working to provide supplies and shelter to the homeless community. Advocates are calling on the city for support as shelters deal with limited bed capacity in the pandemic.