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.

Should you get the new COVID booster? A Mayo doctor weighs in
Appointments to get the booster shots are open at the state-run vaccination site at the Mall of America. The state sites in Duluth, St. Paul, Rochester and Moorhead will start taking appointments next week.
Pandemic experience informs new ways to make kids feel welcome at school
Defiance, wandering the halls, refusing to go to class — those are just a few student behaviors Rochester Public Schools staff say they saw more of when their students came back to class after a year of distance learning. As school starts again, district leaders are testing out new ways to stop these behaviors before they start.
 Brand new booster paired with some hopeful COVID trends
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention approved a new COVID-19 booster shot yesterday that targets the recently circulating BA.4 and BA.5 subvariants. The new Pfizer-BioNTech booster is available for anyone age 12 or older, while Moderna’s new version is for anyone age 18 or older.  
Osterholm: 'Stay current' on upcoming COVID booster shots
Upgraded COVID-19 vaccines are on the way. On Wednesday, the Food and Drug Administration approved new, reformulated versions of the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines. Michael Osterholm joins MPR News host Cathy Wurzer to share what that means for our immunity against new and future strains of the virus.
U.S. clears updated COVID boosters targeting newest variants
U.S. regulators have authorized updated COVID-19 boosters, the first to directly target today's most common omicron strain. The move on Wednesday by the Food and Drug Administration tweaks the recipe of shots made by Pfizer and rival Moderna that already have saved millions of lives. 
Life expectancy in the U.S. continues to drop, driven by COVID-19
Americans' life expectancy dropped for the second year in a row and is now the lowest it's been since the 1920s. COVID-19 is driving the downward trend, according to CDC data.