Coronavirus News Chicago

Got coronavirus questions? We brought in an expert to answer them live

Watch our interview with Dr. Robert Murphy, the executive director of the Institute for Global Health at Northwestern University.

By Alice Bazerghi

Amid fears of the coronavirus pandemic, a man and woman wear a face masks as they walk past the Thompson Center in the Loop, Thursday afternoon, March 12, 2020.

Across Chicago and the rest of the country, fears are mounting over the rising number of coronavirus cases. Schools are closing, gatherings of over 1000 people are being prohibited and entertainment and sports fixtures are at a standstill as officials try and contain the contagious outbreak.

Essential coronavirus content

A message to our readers

We’re keeping essential coronavirus news that you need to know accessible for free here at suntimes.com. This public service is yet another example of the importance of quality local journalism, so please consider supporting us through a digital subscription.

Subscribe

As more and more people are encouraged to work from home and avoid crowded areas, we know you have questions, like: How do you know if you have the coronavirus, what should you do if you think you’re infected, and how long will this life-disrupting virus last?

Dr. Robert Murphy, a professor of Medicine and Biomedical Engineering and Executive Director of the Institute for Global Health at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine joined reporter Robert Herguth in our newsroom Friday, March 13 and answered reader-submitted questions in real time.

Watch the archive of our live Facebook conversation with Dr. Murphy:

Coronavirus newsletter sign up box

Coronavirus Newsletter

Everything you need to know about the novel coronavirus COVID-19, with a focus on its impact on Chicago and Illinois.

Related

Next Up In Coronavirus

Aiming to predict COVID, future pandemics better, CDC opens infectious diseases forecasting center

Unmasked transit: Pritzker ends mask mandates in public transportation, airports

US mask mandate for planes, other travel voided by federal judge in Florida

Rising COVID-19 cases prompt warnings for Illinoisans ‘to remain vigilant and remain up to date’ on vaccine shots

Dr. Ngozi Ezike to become CEO of Sinai Chicago hospital system

With COVID-19 cases rising, Pritzker still searching for public health chief to succeed Ezike, a ‘hero during this pandemic’

Latest Stories

The Latest

Students set up a protest camp on Deering Meadow on the Northwestern University campus on Thursday morning.

Israel-Hamas War

Northwestern students set up Palestine protest camp on campus; clashes with police reported

A news release from NU Educators for Justice in Palestine, Student Liberation Union and Jewish Voice for Peace said the camp is meant to be “a safe space for those who want to show their support of the Palestinian people.”

By Isabel Funk

Generic Chicago Police Department

Other Views

Hate crimes keep increasing. Here's what Chicago is doing about it.

Last year, Black and Brown residents, Muslim Americans, Jewish Americans, members of the LGBTQ+ community and others were targeted in hate crimes more than 300 times. Smart new policies, zero tolerance, cooperation and unity can defeat hate.

By Debra Silverstein

Renderings of the proposed new Bears stadium

Columnists

Bears have designs on the lakefront, as Mayor Johnson plays the wrong position of cheerleader-in-chief

The city is willing to put private interests ahead of public benefit and cheer on a wrongheaded effort to build a massive domed stadium — that would be perfect for Arlington Heights — on Chicago’s lakefront.

By Lee Bey

Taste

Cava restaurant opens in Wicker Park on Friday, announces future suburban location

Following its launch, the popular Mediterranean restaurant is set to open a second area outlet this summer in Vernon Hills.

By Erica Thompson

"The People's Joker" director Vera Drew also stars as a frustrated trans comedian who takes on an alter ego.

Movies and TV

Why so serious? 'The People's Joker' warps Batman tropes into wildly inventive punk parody

Like no superhero movie before it, subversive coming-of-age story reinvents the villain’s origins with a mélange of visual styles and a barrage of gags.

By Richard Roeper