Naperville is experiencing twice as many coronavirus cases as it did a year ago, according to the city’s COVID-19 dashboard.
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Data compiled from the health departments in DuPage and Will counties shows 448 active COVID-19 cases in the city on Sept. 3 compared to 215 cases in 2020.
The higher rate comes at a time when large festivals and gatherings like Last Fling and Labor Day Parade are returning after being canceled last year because of COVID.
Dr. Jonathan Pinsky, director of infection control and prevention at Edward Hospital in Naperville, said now is not the time for people to let down their guard, especially those who are unvaccinated. “You’re playing with fire,” he said.
He suggests that anyone who is unvaccinated avoid traveling, social gatherings or large community events where the risk of exposure is higher to contract the more infectious delta variant of the virus.
Over the last two weeks, Pinsky said 62 people were admitted to the hospital for COVID-19 — five of them children.
Locations where the pediatric intensive care units are at capacity those in which the adult COVID-10 infection rate is high, he said.
The way to lower the risk for children, he said, is to decrease the number of adult picking up the virus. And the best way for parents to protect their children is for parents to get vaccinated, he said.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends everyone 12 and older receive a COVID-19 vaccination.
The good news is that in Naperville, a large portion of the adult population is vaccinated.
Data from the Illinois Department of Public Health shows 63% of DuPage County residents are fully vaccinated compared to 54% in Will County.
Another way to avoid hospitalization is for everyone 6 months and older to get the annual flu shot before the end of October, when influenza season begins.
Like last year, the CDC is warning the flu virus and the coronavirus could spread at the same time in the fall and winter.
This season’s flu vaccines are designed to protect against four viruses that research indicates will be most common.
While flu activity may be low now, the CDC warns it could begin increasing at any time. It takes about two weeks for a body to develop antibodies that protect against flu.
While wearing a mask and physical distancing can help protect a person from respiratory viruses, like flu and the coronavirus, Pinsky said the best way to reduce the risk of potentially serious complications from both is to get vaccinated.
The CDC advises it is safe to get both the flu and COVID-19 vaccines at the same time.