CORONAVIRUS

For Fay Haataja, of Carlton County, the post-COVID program at Essentia Health helped her overcome debilitating headaches, brain fog and long-term memory loss after more than a year of symptoms.

Midway through the pandemic’s third year, the changing measures of the COVID-19 outbreak have made it trickier to understand how much coronavirus is circulating and the prospects for another surge.

The new Pfizer booster, which has a combination of the original COVID strain and the omicron variant, is authorized for use as a single booster dose in individuals age 12 and older.

Even though wastewater surveillance is proving to be the most accurate and economical way to gauge COVID activity in communities across the country, funding for this type of tracking hasn’t been consistent. And data collection is sometimes paused while wastewater researchers look for new ways to pay for the surveillance. Besides COVID, the technique is being used to track the spread of monkeypox.

At an April event held by anti-COVID restriction group Mask Off MN, Jensen drew parallels between pandemic restrictions and the rise of Adolf Hitler in the 1930s.

Workers had until July 22 to apply for the bonus pay, and the state ended up receiving 1,199,416 applications — almost double the 667,000 applications lawmakers expected to receive. Now about 18% face rejection and have until the end of August to appeal.

Bebtelovimab is designed as a treatment option for those newly diagnosed with COVID-19 who cannot take Paxlovid and are deemed at high risk of severe outcomes. It replaces a series of monoclonal treatments that no longer are effective against virus due to mutation.

Since Paxlovid became available seven months ago, it has eclipsed other available therapies created to forestall life-threatening COVID symptoms in high-risk patients. Some doctors are quick to prescribe it, but as with so much about the COVID pandemic, there is controversy. Some patients are concerned about a possible rebound of the disease, while others have difficulty convincing their doctors they are good candidates for the drug.

From the column: "Child-care centers across Minnesota are asking the state to continue the stabilization grants — or we may not have a child-care system at all."