Is the common cold going around Chicago, Illinois?

Yes. Chicago, Illinois families have logged 9 the common cold reports at local schools and daycares in the past 14 days.

Updated August 1, 2026 1093 Chicago schools and daycares tracked

How Chicago parents can tell

  • Runny or stuffy nose
  • Sneezing and mild cough
  • Scratchy throat
  • Low-grade fever

Colds spread for the first two to three days, when the runny nose is at its worst.

Everything on this page comes from Chicago parents logging what their kids actually had, stripped of anything identifying. Nothing shows up until at least two families report the same thing, so one sick child never puts a school on the map.

Read the full the common cold guide

Everything reported in Chicago (past 14 days)

  • Cough8 logs
  • Fever6 logs
  • Common cold5 logs
  • Runny nose4 logs
  • Diarrhea3 logs
  • Loss of appetite2 logs
  • Sore throat2 logs
See the full Chicago health picture

Other illnesses in Chicago

Know before it reaches your house

Follow your Chicago school and get a heads up when the common cold shows up.

Find your school