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.

Hospital bills for uninsured COVID-19 patients are covered, but no one tells them
The CARES Act provides funds to pay medical bills for uninsured COVID-19 patients. But the death of a young man in Nashville, Tenn., shows people often don't know about the program until it's too late.
CDC reduces consecutive minutes of COVID-19 exposure needed to be a 'close contact'
Health officials used to advise going into quarantine and being tested for the coronavirus if you were near an infected person for 15 minutes. Now the rule is a total of 15 minutes during one day.
Pandemic relief faces uncertainty in postelection session
Negotiations on a COVID-19 relief bill are inching forward, but it’s clear that the window for action before the Nov. 3 election is closing and the issue will be tossed to a postelection lame-duck session of Congress. 
Oct. 21 update on COVID-19 in MN: Record daily deaths; hospitalizations climb
Officials said they were saddened but not surprised by the numbers. The surge in cases has led to a surge in hospitalizations and more deaths, and the state must brace itself for more unless more Minnesotans take steps to stem the spread of the disease.
'All you want is to be believed': Sick with COVID-19 and facing racial bias in the ER
When a Latina woman went to a Bay Area hospital, a doctor was dismissive of her COVID-19 symptoms. Is unconscious bias one reason people of color are disproportionately affected by the coronavirus?
Studies point to big drop in COVID-19 death rates
More hospitalized patients are surviving than early in the pandemic. Improved treatments make a big difference, but so does flattening the curve to keep hospitals from overfilling, researchers say.