Health

Health
Do 'tight' cultures fare better in the pandemic than 'loose' cultures?
That's the question posted by a study in The Lancet Planetary Health. In case you're wondering, the United States is characterized as "loose." And Singapore is "tight."
Adults behind on routine vaccines may want to wait to catch up
Many adults are behind on routine vaccinations. Catching up is important, says Dr. Jon Hallberg, but those eligible for a COVID-19 vaccine may want to wait until after they get it.
Can we solve the payday loan debt trap?
High interest rates on short-term consumer loans can spiral into crushing debt. MPR News guest host and senior economics contributor Chris Farrell talks to a lawyer and a nonprofit advocate about the latest efforts to curb payday loans.
Carving out a path through the pandemic — and the snow — on Northwest Angle's ice road
Minnesota’s Northwest Angle has been cut off from the mainland since the start of the pandemic — almost a year. To keep their fishing resort industry open, Angle residents skirted the Canadian border closures by plowing a 30-mile ice road across Lake of the Woods.
The FDA has greenlighted Pfizer’s vaccine for people age 16 and older, and Moderna’s version for those aged 18 and up. Now, trials are underway to test whether those vaccines are safe and effective for younger populations.
For older Minnesotans, whether they're vaccinated has a lot to do with where they live
In Minnesota, whether people 65 or older have gotten a vaccine for COVID-19 yet depends, in large part, on where they live. In some rural Minnesota counties, older residents are more than twice as likely to have gotten at least a first dose of the vaccine than if they live in most parts of the Twin Cities metro area. But even in rural parts of the state, there are significant differences from county to county.
History repeats itself: COVID-19 vaccine inequities echo HIV crisis
People were dying of a disease that could be treated — but in poor countries, they did not have access to medicines that could help. That was the story of HIV — and now of COVID-19.
Race versus time: Targeting vaccine to the most vulnerable is no speedy task
The Biden team wants to swiftly vaccinate people of color and others most vulnerable to COVID-19. But health centers are learning that speed and achieving racial equity don't always go hand in hand.
Feb. 23 update on COVID-19 in MN: Vaccine pace stays flat; daily deaths drop
Officials anticipate this week will be a busy one as weather-delayed shots make their way into the state atop the expected 100,000 doses from the feds. Overall pandemic metrics are still looking good — including only two deaths reported in two days.
Young people struggle to keep friends close as pandemic pulls them apart
The pandemic has prolonged the post-graduation transition amid a tough economy. With the lack of in-person interaction, young professionals are trying to adjust to a diminishing social circle.