Coronavirus cases have been rising in Illinois and many of its surrounding states this fall as health experts brace for a second wave during flu season, and while testing numbers could play a large role in the increased numbers, there's another factor that may be contributing to the spike: the return to school at colleges and universities in the Midwest.
NBC 5 Investigates and Telemundo Investiga have been tracking coronavirus cases that have emerged on college campuses across the country since students returned for their fall semesters and quarters.
We’re now tracking more than 600 colleges, universities, and HBCUs across the country – with a specific focus on four-year colleges most attended by students from Illinois. As of Wednesday morning, data showed more than 157,000 [157,055] new cases of coronavirus, contracted mainly by students, but also by faculty and university staff, just since the fall sessions began at these universities.