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.

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.
Unwelcome holiday guests: RSV, flu and COVID-19 on the rise
According to data released Thursday by the Minnesota Department of Health, 47 people were hospitalized due to influenza, 34 were admitted with RSV, and 191 were hospitalized with COVID-19 during the first week in December — all up notably from the previous week. Additionally, COVID-19 levels measured in the state’s wastewater continue to rise.
New vaccines arrive as COVID-19 wastewater levels reach 2024 highpoint
Along with the annual flu vaccine, the new COVID-19 vaccine formulation is now widely available in Minnesota. It comes at a time when COVID-19 hospitalization rates remain stable but elevated and deaths are increasing. In addition, wastewater data shows higher COVID-19 levels than measured in all of 2024.
Is your runny nose due to fall allergies or COVID?
Fall can be hard on our respiratory health. MPR News host Angela Davis talks with an allergist and an infectious disease doctor about how to diagnose, treat and prevent the things that make us sneeze, wheeze and cough.