Illinois quick hits: ‘Stomach bug’ going around; Aurora among happiest cities
‘Stomach bug’ going around
Stomach flu cases are on the rise in Illinois, some severe enough to send people to the hospital.
While most norovirus cases typically occur between November and April in a given year, cases in the Midwest have spiked dramatically since mid-January.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports norovirus, often referred to as the stomach flu, is not related to influenza but is very contagious.
Illinois’ Flash Index increases
The University of Illinois Flash Index, a measure of the Illinois economy, increased to 103.4 from 103.1 in January, fueled by strong state revenues. Any figure over 100 is considered growth.
According to Professor Fred Giertz, the Illinois economy is still growing moderately after the surge of the recovery from the COVID-19 recession. Giertz said the Illinois and national economies still provide no clear signals of whether a soft landing or modest recession is in store later this year.
Aurora among happiest cities
One Illinois city cracked the top 20 in a list of the happiest cities in America. The personal finance website WalletHub examined each city based on 30 key indicators ranging from depression rate to average leisure time spent per day.
Aurora was the highest ranking Illinois city at number 19. Chicago, the only other Illinois city to make the list, was ranked 74th. Fremont, California, was ranked as the happiest city in the country, while Detroit, Michigan came in last.
