Health

Health
March 25 update on COVID-19 in MN: Cases trend up; state opening vaccines to all age 16 and older
Public health leaders are increasingly anxious about cases tied to the U.K. variant and to youth sports. An expected jump in vaccine supply starting in April should go a long way to easing the concerns. That bump can’t come soon enough.
Latest AstraZeneca report supports effectiveness of COVID vaccine
Updated study results say the vaccine is 76 percent effective against symptomatic COVID-19 and 100 percent effective against severe disease. Independent monitors had been concerned about a previous report.
School counselors on how to support students through a trial and COVID-19
As most Minnesota students now have the option to be back in school for in-person learning, there are still many distractions, like the trial of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin. Host Angela Davis talked with two school counselors on strategies they’re using with kids who are stressed out or struggling in school.
 How climate change impacts health
Host Angela Davis talks to MPR News meteorologist Paul Huttner and two Minnesota doctors about the health impacts of warm winters, heavy rains, more pollen, wildfire smoke and the other effects of climate change.
U.S. outlook improving as vaccinations rise and deaths fall
More than three months into the U.S. vaccination drive, many of the numbers paint an increasingly encouraging picture. Seventy percent of Americans 65 and older have received at least one dose of the vaccine, and COVID-19 deaths have dipped below 1,000 a day on average for the first time since November. 
Masks and gloves are saving lives — and causing pollution
Disposable masks, gloves and other personal protective equipment have safeguarded untold lives during the pandemic. They're also creating a worldwide pollution problem, littering streets and sending an influx of harmful plastic into landfills and oceans.
New data highlight disparities in students learning in person
The first federal survey on school reopening shows racial and geographic differences in participation in full-time, in-person learning.
March 24 update on COVID-19 in MN: Vaccination pace flat; ICU cases rising
Will vaccinations be able to outrun the COVID-19 variants, including the highly contagious U.K. strain? The latest numbers show the state’s vaccination pace plateauing while active cases and hospitalizations rise.
The future of the pandemic in the U.S.: Experts look ahead
Many public health experts are now increasingly optimistic about how the pandemic is playing out in the U.S.. Here's what they say we can expect for the rest of 2021.