Q&A with Star Tribune health reporter Jeremy Olson

You have probably written more than 300 stories since March, including some online only stories. And many of those stories have had to be updated multiple times a day. Are you exhausted?

There is just so much to cover – the tragic losses, the therapeutic discoveries, the economic hardships, and the policy controversies. The pace of news has demanded a high energy level, and probably exacerbated my addiction to Mountain Dew.

You've been a health reporter for decades. How does covering this story about a global pandemic and its impact in MN stack up against other big stories you've covered in your career?

I've always felt pressure to get it right. I remember waking up at 2 a.m. on a Friday years ago and going into the Omaha World-Herald newsroom to check my numbers for a Sunday investigative story. What's different about covering COVID-19 is the high level of scrutiny by readers. They are listening to press conferences and asking why I didn't ask certain questions. They are keeping their own spreadsheets and challenging my reporting of pandemic numbers. I love that readers are holding me accountable and challenging me with their own thoughts and ideas.

When did you realize that this was going to be unlike any other health crisis you've covered?

I never expected to still be covering the pandemic in December, but it was clear that this was going to be a major news event well before SARS-CoV-2 found its way to Minnesota. I remember interviewing a Minneapolis man in February during his quarantine on a military base in San Diego following his travels home from China. It was apparent then how dangerous this pandemic could be for the U.S. and for Minnesota.

You have been going inside hospitals to see this crisis up close. Can you talk about that a little. Gaining the access, how it has affected you on a personal and professional level.

I was in Mercy Hospital's "red zone" COVID-19 ICU unit and was about to set my notebook on the ground when everyone around me yelled to stop! I needed to grab my phone from underneath my scrubs, but setting the notebook down would have made it a contamination risk. One page scraped the floor and they had me tear it out and throw it away. I've been in hospitals and ICUs and operating rooms before, and have marveled at the doctors, nurses and others doing their work. It takes it to another level when they have to do that work amid the constant threat of SARS-CoV-2 infection.

What are you doing to keep up your own health?

I'm probably eating better working at home. The lure of the pizza place in the skyway of the Star Tribune building was too tempting when I was at the office. I miss biking to work, though. I am eager for skiable snow. During the 51-day state lockdown in early spring, there was still just enough manmade snow on the trails at Hyland to get in some sticky Nordic laps. If I can get enough training in this winter, I hope to sign up for the Kortelopet in February. I'll have enough vacation time built up for the trip, that's for sure.

How and when do you think this story will end?

Health officials in Minnesota have called vaccine the "end game," and the latest clinical trial data would suggest that they are correct. We're happy when influenza vaccine is more than 50% effective. These initial COVID-19 vaccines seem to be more than 90% effective! So its reasonable to think the breaking news story of the COVID-19 pandemic will end in spring 2021 with broad vaccine distribution. The ripple effects will continue, though. Will the economy recover? Will people suffer long-term consequences of infection? Will governments learn from their mistakes with more or better public health investments in preparation for the next pandemic?