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.

Free COVID tests headed to nation's schools
Starting in early December, about 19,000 school districts will have the chance to order free rapid COVID tests from the federal stockpile for their students, staff and others in the community.
Get used to it: COVID is a part of the holidays. Here's how to think about risks now
As the country enters its fourth holiday season with COVID-19, experts offer advice about how Americans should navigate the risks and what precautions still make sense.
Power Pairs: Former Minnesota Health Commissioner Jan Malcolm and polar explorer Ann Bancroft
MPR News host Angela Davis talks with her next Power Pair about how their long friendship supported them through expeditions, personal loss, COVID-19 and following their dreams.
Updated COVID vaccine administered to one in eight Minnesotans
As of Nov. 13, roughly 720,000 doses of the recently available updated COVID-19 vaccine have been administered in Minnesota, accounting for just over 13 percent of the population. COVID-19, flu and RSV hospitalizations remain well below this time last year. 
Long COVID brain fog may originate in a surprising place, say scientists
Scientists studying the causes of long COVID symptoms are proposing a surprising pathway. Their research weaves together several prominent lines of evidence on what might be driving the condition.
 COVID-19 ticks down in Minnesota, Flu and RSV barely present
Emergency room visits for COVID-19 have dropped during the last couple of weeks in Minnesota. While there is no guarantee that trend will continue, there has been a longer downward trend for the United States as a whole.
Nobel in medicine goes to 2 scientists whose work enabled creation of mRNA vaccines against COVID-19
Two scientists have won the Nobel Prize in medicine for discoveries that enabled the development of mRNA vaccines against COVID-19 and could be used in the future to create other shots.
The latest on preventing the big three respiratory viruses: COVID, flu and RSV
We’re entering a challenging time of year, when COVID-19, flu and RSV collide. Get the latest information on preventive measures for each, as well as data on how much COVID is circulating in Minnesota.