Health

Health
Latest on COVID-19 in MN: Hopeful signs amid high case counts
Friday’s numbers show the pandemic remains firmly dug in across Minnesota. But there are indications the surge from Thanksgiving gatherings may be subsiding.
Two poets chronicle their friendship and isolation during the pandemic
Marilyn Hacker and Karthika Nair were under lockdown in Paris only miles apart from each other. “A Different Distance” compiles the almost daily poems they wrote from March 2020 to March 2021.
New study looks at how policing affects preterm birth
The paper, published in JAMA Open Network, shows that pregnant people in Minneapolis neighborhoods are at a higher risk of preterm birth.
Poop sleuths hunt for early signs of omicron in sewage
Scientists have identified the new COVID-19 variant in wastewater in a few U.S. cities. This type of surveillance can help communities stay a step ahead of omicron's spread.
1 in 10 Americans say COVID vaccine conflicts with their religious beliefs
A new survey from the Public Religion Research Institute and the Interfaith Youth Core shows most Americans believe too many people are using religious beliefs as a reason to not get vaccinated.
In small studies in South Africa and in Germany, the results indicate a marked decrease in the ability of vaccines to neutralize this variant. But there are other findings that are encouraging.
Pfizer says COVID booster offers protection against omicron
Pfizer said Wednesday that a booster dose of its COVID-19 vaccine may protect against the new omicron variant even though the initial two doses appear significantly less effective.