Health

October 20, 2021 4:00 AM

What the EPA's plan to regulate 'forever chemicals' means for Minnesota

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has an ambitious strategy to deal with PFAS — human-made “forever chemicals” that have polluted public drinking water supplies and accumulated in fish and wildlife. The plan is expected to bolster efforts already underway in Minnesota to deal with the contaminants.

by Kirsti Marohn

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October 19, 2021 4:51 PM

The FDA wants you to be able to buy a hearing aid without a prescription

For decades, the FDA has regulated hearing aids as prescription medical devices — an arrangement that adds to the cost and effort people must invest to get them.

by Bill Chappell

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October 19, 2021 2:30 PM

Minnesota traveling nurse returns home after grueling year fighting pandemic

The current COVID-19 surge has stretched staffing at Minnesota hospitals to the thinnest margins since the start of the pandemic, with ICU capacity hitting an all-time low. To cope, many hospitals are turning to traveling nurses. Kirstin Wilson is one such professional. She spoke with MPR News guest host Steven John.

by Steven John, Megan Burks and Matt Mikus

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October 19, 2021 12:15 PM

COVID-19 in MN: Signs summer-fall wave may be ebbing; hospitalizations dip

As Minnesota continues to grind its way through a hard stretch of COVID-19, the newest numbers offer the best hope in weeks that the worst of the current surge might — might — be over.

by MPR News Staff

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October 19, 2021 9:41 AM

U.S. expected to authorize mix-and-match COVID booster shots

Allowing mixing and matching could alleviate supply issues, make the task of getting a booster simpler for Americans and allow people who may have had adverse reactions to the initial dose to try a different shot.

by The Associated Press

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October 19, 2021 7:00 AM

Dayton is spending some of its COVID aid in unexpected ways. It's not alone.

Dayton, Ohio, was desperate for COVID aid to help with basic services. Now the city finds itself awash in funds, and it's looking at creative ways to spend some of the largesse.

by Tamara Keith

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October 19, 2021 4:00 AM

Seeking protection and normalcy, parents eagerly await COVID vaccine for kids

In coming weeks, federal health officials are expected to sign off on the first COVID-19 vaccine for kids ages 5 to 11. For many families, getting their kids protected against the virus will be a game-changer — closing the circle of COVID-19 risk around their families or just returning to a degree of normalcy.

by Catharine Richert

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October 18, 2021 1:47 PM

Osterholm: 5th COVID wave 'absolutely' possible

“If you are not vaccinated, you can't run out the clock on this virus. It will find you,” Michael Osterholm, director of the University of Minnesota’s Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy, told Cathy Wurzer Monday during her new MPR News show, Minnesota Now.

by Cathy Wurzer and Sara Meyer

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October 18, 2021 1:33 PM

Patients say telehealth is OK, but most prefer to see their doctor in person

An NPR poll finds that while a large majority of people using telehealth during the pandemic were satisfied, nearly two-thirds prefer in-person visits. That may foretell telehealth's future.

by Yuki Noguchi

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October 18, 2021 7:27 AM

Colin Powell, exemplary general stained by Iraq claims, dies

“We have lost a remarkable and loving husband, father and grandfather and a great American,” his family said. Colin Powell, 84, was the first African American to serve as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and secretary of state.

by The Associated Press

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