skip to main content
skip to newscasts

Thursday, June 12, 2025

Public News Service Logo
facebook instagram linkedin reddit youtube twitter
view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

RFK Jr. taps eight new members for CDC's vaccine advisory panel; CO communities to join national 'No Kings' protests Saturday; End of hospital emergency abortion care rule will affect rural KY women; LIHEAP cuts could put lives at risk in rural AL, advocates warn.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

White House says there will be more ICE raids, as protests spread across the county. California Gov. Newsom says democracy is at a crossroads, and Elon Musk says he 'regrets' social media posts about President Trump.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

EV charging stations are harder to find in rural America, improving the mental health of children and teachers is the goal of a new partnership in seven rural states, and a once segregated Mississippi movie theater is born again.

MN Health Expert: "Darkest Days" of COVID Lie Ahead

play audio
Play

Friday, October 23, 2020   

MINNEAPOLIS - Minnesota is seeing an acceleration of COVID-19 cases and deaths, and a leading local epidemiologist warns the region and the nation could be in for a rough winter.

The state Health Department says Minnesota is averaging more than a thousand cases each day this month. There's also concern about a recent spike in novel coronavirus fatalities.

Michael Osterholm - who directs the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota - said based on a variety of trends, the public should brace for more troubling reports.

"I think we are about to enter the darkest days of the pandemic," said Osterholm. "Not only here in Minnesota, but throughout the entire country. A combination of pandemic fatigue, pandemic anger, and then just the increased frequency of indoor air exposures."

He said families might still be planning holiday gatherings, despite the risk of spreading the virus.

Osterholm, a regents professor in the university's Division of Environmental Health Sciences, also noted some hospitals might not have enough specialized staff to treat patients in intensive care units.

And he said he worries the production of Personal Protective Equipment won't be enough to meet the rising demand.

Hospitalizations from the virus also are trending upward in Minnesota. Osterholm said it isn't enough just to have adequate bed capacity. He said there's real concern about the staffing levels to produce better outcomes for critical patients.

"The nursing staff that work in intensive care, the entire team," said Osterholm, "from respiratory therapy across the board - all offer a very, very unique service to these patients that you can't find just in any other physician or nurse."

He said the nation could also see shortages of the medications used to treat COVID patients, as many are developed in other countries where the supply chain is being disrupted.

Public-health officials are also voicing concerns about "COVID fatigue" setting in, even among people who carefully followed safety guidelines early in the pandemic.

For those hoping to break from isolation during the holidays and meet with family, Osterholm warned it's almost impossible to avoid any risk, even if there's an attempt to quarantine before the gathering.

"If you have some family members that do and some that don't," said Osterholm, "the chances of the virus entering into that household becomes a huge risk."

He said the state and nation won't see real improvement until a safe and effective vaccine is available.
This week, the U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary said vaccines won't likely be available to the American public at large until April of next year.


get more stories like this via email

more stories
The temporary permitting process at Hobbs State Park includes specific collection zones, boundaries and safety requirements. Only dead trees impacted by the 2024 storm may be removed. (Kit Leong/Adobe Stock)

Environment

play sound

As the cleanup effort continues at Hobbs State Park Conservation Area in Rogers, officials with Arkansas State Parks have authorized a temporary …


Social Issues

play sound

June is Pride Month, and Washington's Lavender Rights Project is celebrating with a Black Trans Comedy Showcase. This is the largest fundraiser of …

Social Issues

play sound

Protests are planned this Saturday throughout Arizona as organizers mobilize a "nationwide day of defiance" against what they're calling the Trump adm…


Nationwide, nearly 70% of rural counties lack a single obstetric hospital, according to a 2024 March of Dimes report. (Adobe Stock)

Health and Wellness

play sound

Abortion rights advocates in Kentucky are concerned as the Department of Health and Human Services has revoked a policy requiring hospitals to provide…

Health and Wellness

play sound

Indiana University now trains police academy recruits in Deaf culture awareness and basic American Sign Language. The program aims to improve …

Consumer advocates warned Florida Power & Light's proposed rate increase would mean its customers would be locked into supporting natural gas over cleaner, price-stable alternatives, like solar energy. (Silberfuchs/Pixabay)

Social Issues

play sound

Florida Power & Light's request for a nearly $9 billion rate hike, possibly the largest in state history, has sparked concern about the potential …

Environment

play sound

June is World Oceans Month and California environmental groups are highlighting advances in zero-emission shipping. International shipping emits …

Environment

play sound

California companies making compostable packaging materials said their products could make a huge dent in the problem of plastic pollution but only wi…

 

Phone: 303.448.9105 Toll Free: 888.891.9416 Fax: 208.247.1830 Your trusted member- and audience-supported news source since 1996 Copyright © 2021