skip to main content
skip to newscasts

Tuesday, November 12, 2024

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

Trump's emerging team of loyalists is primed for a fast start in his second term; GA activist focuses on zoning violations to advocate for environmental health; Federal tax credits help clinics expand in low-income IL communities; Experts say antibiotic resistance is growing in VT due to 'superbugs.'

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Immigrant rights groups and librarians react to Trump's win. The President-elect names philosophical allies and deregulators to White House positions and Democrats wonder how they can fight Trump policies, given the GOP's congressional majority.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Texas women travel some of the longest distances for abortion care, Californians the shortest, rural living comes with mixed blessings for veterans, an ancient technique could curtail climate-change wildfires, and escape divisive politics on World Kindness Day.

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
Nearly half of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency budget goes into grants to state environmental programs, nonprofits, educational institutions and others. (Adobe Stock)

Environment

play sound

Florida environmental advocates are concerned about the future after President-elect Donald Trump named former New York Congressman Lee Zeldin to lead…


play sound

As President-elect Donald Trump announces immigration hard-liners as his deputy chief of staff and border czar this week, groups supporting …

Health and Wellness

play sound

It is now up to Wisconsin Supreme Court justices to decide the fate of an abortion law from the mid-1800s. A circuit court determined last year an 18…


Someone becomes homeless in the United States every 40 minutes. (Pixel-Shot/Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

The faith-based nonprofit Our Calling is working with unsheltered clients in north Texas to create a long-term exit plan to help them rebuild their li…

Environment

play sound

The hills and hollers of Virginia are no strangers to hardship, but few were prepared for the devastation Hurricane Helene would bring. Six weeks …

Colorado has been working to remove cost as a barrier for students, and many certificate and degree programs are zero-tuition. (Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

Gov. Jared Polis has designated seven Colorado colleges and universities as Career Connected Campuses for their work getting more students from all …

Social Issues

play sound

With Thanksgiving just over two weeks away, will Michiganders and shoppers across the country face sticker shock at the grocery store while planning …

Social Issues

play sound

As winter break approaches, Alabama's Summer Adventures in Learning program is encouraging parents to think ahead to summer, particularly as quality …

 

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