Since the beginning of the pandemic, theories began to circulate that we would eventually experience a second wave. The U.S. has officially hit a new high in COVID-19 cases as the numbers of cases and deaths increase drastically, according to The Washington Post. 

On April 1, Illinois had 986 new COVID-19 cases and ended off the month with 2,563 new cases in one day. Throughout the summer the number of cases dropped below a thousand and then spiked back up into the thousands  mid-July and into August. On Nov. 1, we hit the highest number of cases we had this entire year: 8,303 new COVID-19 cases in a day. 

The reasoning for the sudden rapid increase in COVID-19 cases could be the result of schools reopening, or people simply becoming tired of social distancing and quarantine which experts call, “caution fatigue”. 

“I don’t think [school] is the main reason for the cases rising but I definitely think it’s contributing,” Isabella Carbajal, senior, said.

Schools all across the country are closing soon after reopening for hybrid learning because students and teachers are contracting the virus. That’s when the schools are left with no choice but to resort back to remote learning for two weeks. 

Dr. Anthony Fauci, an American physician and immunologist, warned citizens that once autumn and winter arrived, it wasn’t going to be easy. Viruses have a better survival in cold temperatures which also contributes to the high number of COVID-19 cases. 

In Illinois, COVID-19 cases are climbing at a concerning rate everyday, leaving a larger chance for people to contract the virus.

Illinois Department of Public Health encourages citizens in Illinois on Twitter to practice the 3 W’s: watch your distance, wash your hands, and wear a mask. The more people that follow the 3 W’s the sooner we will see drops in the amount of COVID-19 cases.