Will Stone

As COVID-19 cases increase, many rural communities, places which were largely spared during the early months of the pandemic, are now contending with a spike in infections and hospitalizations.

Most states have surging coronavirus case counts — 15 are up 40% or more. The start of what could be a third U.S. peak in cases first took hold in rural states, and they are straining to keep up.

Raging outbreaks in the Midwest and Great Plains are driving the numbers, but every region of the country is showing growth in new infections.

Cases are surging in many places around the country. As we head into winter here's what public health forecasters think we can expect.

The first coronavirus case in the U.S. was diagnosed about nine months ago. NPR reconstructs the timeline of the pandemic in this country and talks about the months to follow.

One in four rural households report being unable to get medical care for serious problems, due to the pandemic, according to a new poll from NPR, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and Harvard.

Lawyers for Rick Bright wrote in the addendum to his May filing that "the work of scientists is ignored or denigrated to meet political goals and to advance President Trump's re-election aspirations."

South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem has said her state proves "you don't need lockdowns to be responsible and flatten the curve." Health experts and coronavirus survivors disagree.

As college campuses grapple with outbreaks of coronavirus infections, research from the CDC suggests young adults are driving infection rates, putting older, more vulnerable people at risk.

The CDC says coronavirus infection rates over the summer were highest in young adults. But in the South, increased infections among 20 to 39-year-olds preceded rises in infection in people over 60.

More than 200,000 people in the U.S. have died of COVID-19. We hear from three areas of the country about how the pandemic has affected life there.

The coronavirus death toll in the U.S. is expected to reach 200,000 soon. Reporter Will Stone reflects on covering the first COVID-19 death in the U.S. and looks at developments as the deaths spread.

North Dakota has long been praised for its coronavirus response, but now the state has one of the fastest growing infection rates in the U.S.

Public health officials across the U.S. reported dozens of cases in their states associated with people who attended the annual event, which drew hundreds of thousands in August.

Gyms are reopening with fewer people and more protocols, and they want to rehabilitate their pandemic-battered image. Although there's not much evidence, they say the science is on their side.

Gyms shut down quickly when the coronavirus pandemic began because exercising indoors, sharing equipment and breathing heavily could spread the virus. But now gyms are trying to show they can be safe.

As coronavirus cases climb, doctors warn the health system may be pushed to its limit when flu season begins. Some worry fewer people will get a flu shot during the pandemic, and urge more to be done.

To owners of bars and nightclubs, pandemic restrictions on the industry can feel punitive. But there are important differences, virus hunters say, between a bar and a restaurant that serves alcohol.

Las Vegas is on shaky footing as it reopens with one of the nation's highest infection rates. An NPR analysis shows the city could run into trouble with hospital capacity if cases keep climbing.

Las Vegas is on shaky footing as it reopens with one of the nation's highest infection rates. An NPR analysis shows the city could run into trouble with hospital capacity if cases keep climbing.