COVID-19: Coverage of the pandemic from MPR News

The latest news, resources, guides and tips to help you stay up to date on the coronavirus pandemic.

Merck says experimental pill cuts worst effects of COVID-19
Pharmaceutical company Merck says its experimental COVID-19 pill reduced hospitalizations and deaths by half in people recently infected with the coronavirus. The company said it would soon ask health officials in the U.S. and around the world to authorize its use.
Seeking peace of mind, some Minnesotans skirt COVID-19 booster guidelines
The FDA has approved COVID-19 booster shots for a limited number of people who first got the Pfizer vaccine. But in the weeks before those boosters became available, some people were already getting them. Concerns about vaccine effectiveness and the desire for peace of mind play a role.
School boards are asking for federal help as they face threats and violence
School board meetings, usually one of the most mundane examples of local democracy in action, have exploded with vitriol across the country in recent months, and many school leaders are scared.
Student files lawsuit to block U of M vaccine requirement
The complaint says the student, who is unnamed, tested positive for COVID-19 in November, and feels he's protected from further infection. It also states he doesn't want the vaccine on grounds of what the suit calls "conscientiously held, but not specifically religious beliefs."
Health workers once saluted as heroes now get threats
Across the country, doctors and nurses on the front lines of the coronavirus pandemic are dealing with hostility, threats and violence from patients angry over safety rules designed to keep the virus from spreading. Some hospitals are so concerned that they equipped workers with panic buttons, while others have limited the number of public entrance to their facilities.
Yes, you're fully vaccinated without a COVID-19 vaccine booster
People who got a two-dose vaccine or one dose of the Johnson & Johnson shot are considered fully vaccinated — even without a booster. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says you're fully vaccinated two weeks after receiving a second dose of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine, or one dose of the J&J.
Vaccination rates lag among Minnesota prison workers
As of this week, about 80 percent of people incarcerated in state prisons have been fully vaccinated. But the Department of Corrections has been less successful in convincing its own employees to get the vaccine. 
The bill for his COVID test in Texas was a whopping $54,000
A businessman from Dallas got a PCR test for the coronavirus at a suburban emergency room. The charge for his test was "egregious" but not illegal, say health care analysts. Here's what happened.
Are you pregnant? The CDC really wants you to get vaccinated against COVID-19
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says cases of COVID-19 in symptomatic, pregnant people have a higher risk of admission into intensive care and a 70 percent increased risk of death.