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.

COVID boosted efforts to track diseases in wastewater
Before the COVID-19 pandemic, wastewater sampling wasn't routinely done for public health purposes. But as the case number climbed scientists and public health officials saw the value of getting a sneak peek of where the virus was spreading, and where the next hot spot might be.
‘Identical patients’: A Minneapolis ER doc remembers the COVID-19 surge
Dr. John Hick saw Minnesota’s busiest emergency department fill with patients, many struggled to breathe. Five years later, health care is still dealing with the pandemic’s aftermath.
Five years later, how did COVID-19 change Minnesota?
MPR News host Angela Davis and her guests talk about the lasting impact of COVID-19 on our bodies, our mental health, our communities and our world. 
Osterholm predicted a pandemic for years. Then the battle against COVID-19 became personal
Five years ago, news of a fast-spreading respiratory virus was making headlines in the United States. In Minnesota, public health expert Michael Osterholm was keeping close tabs.
COVID in Minnesota: Five years in five graphs
The COVID-19 pandemic upended life in Minnesota and across the country in March 2020. Schools and businesses closed. Hospitals nearly reached a breaking point as deaths and hospitalizations leaped. Five charts show different ways in which the pandemic shaped us.
RFK Jr. canceled flu vaccine meetings. What does that mean for fall shots?
Epidemiologist Michael Osterholm, the head of the University of Minnesota Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy, joined Morning Edition host Cathy Wurzer to talk about the implications of axing the meeting.
Flu, COVID-19 and whooping cough down, norovirus still up
The good news? Flu, COVID-19, RSV and whooping cough are all on the decline in Minnesota. The bad news? Norovirus case counts have climbed this month, and lagging COVID-19 reveals the highest weekly mortality count in 11 months.
The CIA believes COVID most likely originated from a lab but has low confidence in its own finding
The CIA now believes the virus responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic most likely originated from a laboratory. That's according to an assessment that points the finger at China even while acknowledging the spy agency has “low confidence” in its own conclusion. 
COVID-19, RSV and flu: Up, up and way up
The latest confirmed hospitalization data shows notable increases of just over 30 percent in hospital admissions due to both COVID-19 and RSV during the last full week of December. Hospitalizations due to influenza jumped by just over 150 percent during that same week.