Hal Dardick

Thomas McDade, a biological anthropology professor at Northwestern University, holds blood samples that just arrived from research participants in a study for coronavirus antibodies at his lab in Evanston on June 30, 2020.

Why does one Chicago ZIP code have more COVID-19 cases than the next? Finger-prick blood tests may help find an answer.

July 3, 2020 at 11:47 p.m.

Northwestern University scientists will be asking Chicagoans to prick their fingers and send in a dried blood sample as part of an effort to figure out why some parts of...

Pedestrians are seen at Belmont Avenue and Clark Street in Chicago on May 26, 2020. Cook County will spend nearly $41 million to dramatically beef up its contact tracing program.

Cook County to spend $41 million on COVID-19 contact tracing, but won’t be fully staffed until fall

June 11, 2020 at 8:52 p.m.

Cook County will spend nearly $41 million to dramatically beef up its contact tracing program in an effort to limit future COVID-19 case surges, but won't have the program fully...

Personal médico y estudiantes de medicina en el centro de pruebas de coronavirus en VIDA Wellness Center en La Villita.

Temen que las cosas empeoren aún más entre latinos y contagios por COVID-19

June 5, 2020 at 7:02 p.m.

Como tantos inmigrantes mexicanos, los padres de Melissa Martínez Zepeda no tienen el privilegio de trabajar desde casa. Sus lugares de trabajo, un almacén y una fábrica, continuaron funcionando incluso...

Medical staff meet before the start of coronavirus testing at the VIDA Wellness Center in Little Village on May 6, 2020. Howard Brown Health/VIDA has been performing COVID-19 tests in Little Village.

Latinos have the highest COVID-19 infection rate in Illinois. As restrictions ease, community leaders fear things will get even worse.

June 5, 2020 at 10:14 p.m.

Like so many Mexican immigrants, Melissa Martinez Zepeda's parents don't have the privilege of working from home. Both of their workplaces — a warehouse and factory — continued to operate...

Ald. Byron Sigcho-Lopez, 25th, appears in Chicago on April 3, 2020. "I'm really concerned about how we are using or misusing our public dollars in the middle of a pandemic," he said.

Activists, alderman urge Mayor Lori Lightfoot to forgo contact tracing contract, instead spend money on expanding health department

June 4, 2020 at 1:49 a.m.

Mayor Lori Lightfoot should not hire an outside agency to oversee contract tracing for COVID-19 cases and instead use the money earmarked for that effort to beef up a diminished...

Dr. Gregory Huhn, an infectious disease physician at Stroger Hospital, poses for a portrait on May 4, 2020, outside of Cook County Health in Chicago. Huhn headed up Stroger's participation in a remdesivir trial run by Gilead Sciences.

More positive results for antiviral drug remdesivir in battle against COVID-19

June 2, 2020 at 11:57 p.m.

The antiviral drug remdesivir appears to be promoting recovery in patients who are moderately ill with COVID-19, according to new trial results. The results, released by remdesivir maker Gilead Sciences...

A demonstrator burns an American flag during a march in the Loop on May 29, 2020, to bring attention to the May 25 murder of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer.

Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart: Carry on peaceful protests, but looters and arsonists will go to jail

June 1, 2020 at 11:44 p.m.

Sheriff Tom Dart on Monday delivered a two-pronged message: Peaceful protesters should carry on, but looters and vandals will find there's plenty of space for them at the jail. "To...

In this file photo, Mayor Lori Lightfoot speaks to the media on April 30, 2020, during a press conference in Chicago Police Department Area 4.

Lightfoot announces search for organization to lead Chicago’s virus contact tracing effort

May 27, 2020 at 2:16 a.m.

Mayor Lori Lightfoot on Tuesday announced plans to try to train hundreds of people to track the spread of the coronavirus and warn Chicagoans who've had contact with someone who's...

A person waves while in a convoy of 15 to 20 police, fire department and military vehicles as the convoy passes through Elmhurst, Illinois for Memorial Day, May 25, 2020.

A different Memorial Day in Chicago: Crowds are out, livestreamed ceremonies are in

May 26, 2020 at 4:28 a.m.

Chicagoans marked Memorial Day in a different way Monday, as local leaders tried to balance paying respect to those who died serving their country while also respecting the coronavirus-driven stay-at-home...

People fish and walk along Diversey Harbor in Lincoln Park during the warm spring weather May 13, 2020.

With a new, stricter grading system — plus warmer weather — Cook County is now getting a D on social distancing

May 18, 2020 at 4:38 p.m.

Chicago still has work to do when it comes to staying at home, according to one assessment. Residents of Chicago and the surrounding Cook County suburbs are now getting a...

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