Side Effects Public Media recently received questions from audience members through our texting group, the Midwest Checkup, about how the changes wrought by the pandemic may affect child development and talked to experts to provide some answers.

Results published by officials during the Indiana State Board of Education meeting Wednesday confirm the expected drop in scores on the state's ILEARN exam.

Early reports of ILEARN results indicate a significant drop in math and English scores.

Clinical trials for antiviral drugs to treat COVID-19 have produced inconsistent results.

In recent weeks, demand for the COVID-19 vaccine in Iowa has declined sharply, but the number of Iowans who have had at least one shot hasn't even reached 70 percent. That's raising concern among public health officials.

Indiana is no longer requiring K-12 schools to implement any COVID-19 precautions or restrictions. State health officials say those decisions must now be made at the local level.

Indiana's COVID-19 positivity rate was reported at its lowest level since the pandemic began just over a week ago. Since then, the rate has jumped 52 percent.

Terre Haute and other places are slowly beginning to open back up, and all musicians and entertainers have been waiting for this since the lockdown in 2020.

Months long waitlists, out-of-pocket costs and a burgeoning mental health crisis is pushing care out of reach for some families.

Across the Midwest, there are not nearly enough psychiatrists, therapists or direct-care staff to treat a rising tide of young people spiraling into crisis. For these families, the strain can seem unbearable. It’s a story echoed across much of the country. This was true even before COVID-19.