Our response to COVID: How it could have been—and how it might end instead
Former teacher Tim Munkeby critiques how the U.S. government handled the COVID-19 pandemic and explains what he thinks our response should have been.
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Cure for the pandemic blues only a call away
Minnesota-based non-profit Little Brothers--Friends of The Elderly (LBFE) have created a safe and low-tech solution to address the COVID-exacerbated loneliness felt among older adults. They call it “Coffee Talk.” It’s a volunteer-staffed call-in program in which participants connect with a compassionate listener using a technology that they easily understand: their telephone.
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Advocates innovate to keep kids learning
Since the COVID-19 pandemic, some say it's been unsafe for children to go to school. But shoddy WiFi and outdated devices make it nearly impossible for some families to attend online classes. Esperanza Lee shares how a Minneapolis-based organization shifted literacy-focused "Learning in Community" online to address disparities exacerbated by the pandemic.
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People who don't wear masks put others at risk
Writer Tim Munkeby and his wife were shopping for essentials--masks firmly in place on their faces--when he noticed a middle-aged, unmasked lady clearly violating the store's rules. "By following the rules, and the laws, we're protecting both ourselves and others," Munkeby writes. "By defying them, we're not."
(more)Sufferers say COVID-19 is unpredictable, freakish, lingering and recurrent
"For many, it's hard to know what to expect from one day to the next after COVID-19, or if they'll ever fully recover." Reporter Kim Whiting shares the stories of four people and their families, including herself, who experienced COVID-19 symptoms ranging from asymptomatic to critical. Their experiences underscore how unpredictable the virus truly is.
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One man shares his COVID-19 nightmare
54-year-old Steve Olson details how he contracted COVID-19 at the start of the pandemic, his symptoms, and the lingering impacts on his health and mobility. In month by month diary entries, his story underscores the terrifying, dystopian nature of this unpredictable virus.
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An American suburb revealed during six months of dog walks
The Reporters Inc.'s Mark Saxenmeyer decided to explore all seven square miles of his Minneapolis, Minnesota suburb, Richfield, in the midst of the pandemic. During his daily dog walks he took pictures of the houses, roads and front lawns that showcase the hidden eccentricity and surprises of this middle American town. More than anything, his photo essay shows us that we are not alone, no matter how isolating our situation may be.
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Welcoming new life during a global health crisis
Imagine being pregnant during a global pandemic. What would you do? How would you keep you and your baby safe? That's been Laura Friedrich's reality since the COVID-19 pandemic started when she was five months pregnant. In July 2020, Friedrich and her husband, Scott, welcomed their healthy baby girl. Rashanah Baldwin interviews these proud first-time parents about how they managed pregnancy and birth during this difficult time.
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Will America's favorite pastime go down swinging?
Reporter Alana Schreiber, a diehard baseball fan, is not excited for the upcoming season. "With only 60 games scheduled, instead of 162, and with the ongoing danger that players, coaches and managers will end up sick with COVID-19, there seems to be too much risk involved and not enough return," she writes.
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Social distancing upon return to the golf course
Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers gave golfers the green light to resume play, but with restrictions. Jerry Huffman returns to the course to test out this "new normal," and to see if society is ready to follow the rules. "If we're ever going to emerge from the shutdowns controlling our own lives, we must show society that we're ready for the responsibility," Huffman writes.
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