Chicago St. Patrick's Day Parade canceled due to coronavirus

CHICAGO (AP) - Chicago on Wednesday joined the growing ranks of cities across the United States to cancel its St. Patrick's Day Parade amid concerns about the coronavirus.

In a brief announcement on its website, the Chicago St. Patrick's Day Parade said that Saturday's parade had been canceled. The cancellation of the parade, one of the largest in the nation, follows announcements of cancellations of parades in cities including Philadelphia and Denver.

For most people, the new coronavirus causes only mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia.

The vast majority of people recover from the new virus. According to the World Health Organization, people with mild illness recover in about two weeks, while those with more severe illness may take three to six weeks to recover. In mainland China, where the virus first exploded, more than 80,000 people have been diagnosed and more than 58,000 have so far recovered.

Chicago's announcement follows an announcement by Illinois officials Tuesday that the number of confirmed cases in the state climbed by eight to a total of 19. That total includes the state's first two cases to be confirmed outside Cook County, with one in McHenry County and the other in Kane County.

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