The Best Tools to Combat Covid-19 😷
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Season 2: Episode 62 Description
In today's episode:😷 We’re looking into some of the most important tools we have: covid testing and masks.🌡️Friends of the Ten, Jacob and Olivia Rozencwaig from The Curious Kid podcast join us to break down the different types of Covid tests and how they work. ✔️Fun Fact check: what schools taught Mayan history through songs and stories? 🗞️In the news: Free at-home COVID-19 tests, the latest on Mars, and comic books might be worth some cash. And, test your knowledge about poetry on today's Trivia on the Ten. ✅
Sources
Omicron Variant: What You Need to Know | CDC
The Omicron Episode for Parents (with Paul Offit) – Lemonada Media
Explainer: N95? KF94? Which mask is best at protecting against COVID-19 | Reuters
When can kids under 5 get vaccinated for COVID-19? - Los Angeles Times (latimes.com)
Covid-19: WHO chief optimistic disease will be beaten in 2022 - BBC News
Pre–Columbian Education | Encyclopedia.com
Free Covid tests: Website for ordering at-home tests is up and running - CNNPolitics
Study nixes Mars life in meteorite found in Antarctica | AP News
Spider-Man comic page sells for record $3.36M bidding | AP News
Robert Burns | Poetry Foundation
Robert Burns | Biography, Poems, Songs, Auld Lang Syne, & Facts | Britannica
BBC - Robert Burns - A-Z list of all works
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TRANSCRIPT:
Sound Bit 0:01
This morning a tale of two countries as the Omicron surge appears to be plateauing in some states. In other areas, the highly contagious variant is tightening its grip. Infected patients are pushing hospitals beyond capacity in many states.
Bethany Van Delft 0:14
Omicron is wreaking havoc. But, guess what? This time we are way better equipped to handle it.
Sound Bit 0:22
Dr. Fauci says, it appears the US is heading in the right direction and Omicron cases could peak early next month.
Bethany Van Delft 0:29
Today, we're looking into some of the most important tools that we have: COIVD testing and masks. I'm Bethany Van Delft. It's Tuesday, January 25th. and this is the Ten News.
Various Voices 0:41
10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1.
Bethany Van Delft 0:49
Have you gotten a COVID test yet? I know it feels pretty weird to have a swab up your nose, but they are super helpful. Did you know there's more than one kind of COVID test? Maybe you're wondering which is better, a rapid or a PCR test? Friends of the Ten Jacob and Olivia Rozencwaig from the Curious Kid Podcast are here with some explanations.
Jacob Rozencwaig 1:16
As a pharmacist, I answer lots of questions. These days, I'm getting more questions about COVID testing than anything else. There are two different types of COVID tests that most people take to see if they have COVID. Understanding the differences between the two is important because they both have strengths and weaknesses.
Olivia Rozencwaig 1:37
One type of COVID test is called a PCR test. The letter PCR stands for a polymerase chain reaction. What does that mean?
Jacob Rozencwaig 1:47
PCR tests are done by taking the sample from the nose or mouth. Once the sample is taken, it has to be treated in a laboratory. In the lab, a healthcare worker amplifies the sample so that even small traces of the COVID virus can be detected right. The PCR test is great because it is very accurate, it can detect very small amounts of the COVID virus. The problem with the PCR test is that it usually takes a few days to get results. That means that people who get tested with the PCR test are encouraged to quarantine after getting tested until the results come back, especially if they are symptomatic and showing signs that they might have COVID.
Olivia Rozencwaig 2:37
The other common COVID test is the antigen test, which is commonly being called the rapid test.
Jacob Rozencwaig 2:46
In order to understand how antigen tests work, it helps to know what an antigen is. antigens are substances that your body recognizes as not belonging in the body. When antigens enter the body, your immune system will kick into gear and produce antibodies to fight the antigens. antigen tests work by looking for antigens from the COVID virus. Just like the PCR test, an antigen test starts by taking a sample from the nose or mouth after that initial step. antigen tests are very different from PCR tests. With an antigen test, the sample is applied to a test strip that has antibodies specific to COVID. If the antibodies on the strip detect antigens on the sample, a colored line appears on the test strip, dang it. Rapid antigen tests are great because you can get results in as little as 15 minutes. Excellent. The biggest problem with rapid tests is that they aren't as accurate as PCR tests. That's because they won't detect the virus in its very early stages. Man, that means it's possible to have something called a false negative with the rapid test. A false negative means that the test results show that you don't have COVID. But you actually do have COVID
Olivia Rozencwaig 4:04
Since there are two types of tests, they both have strengths and weaknesses. Which test is the better one to get?
Jacob Rozencwaig 4:12
If you plan to get tested for COVID, you should go with whichever test is easier to get your hands on. Okay. I know that doesn't sound like a very helpful answer. But that's the way to go. Getting tested has been harder than ever over the last few weeks. Because the demand is so high. The highly contagious Omicron variant has been spreading around the country. So many people are getting COVID Or are getting symptoms and thinking they might have COVID or they've come into contact with other people that tested positive. This means that it could be hard to get a PCR test or an antigen test these days. Both tests are highly accurate, and one of the keys to stopping the virus is being able to determine who has it so that those people can quarantine and not spread it to others.
Olivia Rozencwaig 5:04
The tests are different, but they are both great. Stay safe, everybody.
Bethany Van Delft 5:10
Well, thank you for breaking that down. To learn more cool things from Jacob and Olivia, check them out on the Curious Kid Podcast. As you've probably heard, the Omicron variant is spreading more quickly than the other strains of COVID. But luckily, vaccines are working. Yes! People are getting symptoms, but thanks to vaccines, symptoms are much milder for most people. But how do we slow down the spread to protect kids under five who don't have a vaccine yet? Or kids who cannot be vaccinated? Yikes. That's where masks come in. Has your school changed their mask policy or maybe asked students to switch to an N95, KN95, or surgical masks instead of cloth ones? Why are things changing again? Well, the CDC recently suggested switching to N95 and KN95 masks, instead of cloth masks because they're better at filtering out particles in the air. If you can't get an N95 or a KN95, you can wear two surgical masks doubled up or a surgical mask with a cloth mask on top. Awesome! Pediatrician Dr. Paul Offit recommends kids wear a surgical mask because KN95 and N95's can sometimes be uncomfortable. So some schools are asking students to switch from cloth masks to surgical masks in order to better protect kids under five who might be in kindergarten or pre-K or may have older siblings in school. Yes, omicron has been a headache for everyone. But there is good news on the horizon. The vaccine manufacturers are saying vaccines are likely coming for kids under five this spring. We want your questions about the pandemic, Omicron vaccines, all of them. We're talking to experts who can answer your questions. So give us a call at 877-TEN-NEWS and leave us a voicemail. And guess what? You might hear it included in the show. Yay. That's 877 T E N N E W S. Did you ever wonder what school was like in America before Europeans arrived? Indigenous nations like the Inca, Maya, and Aztecs had private schools for the sons of priests and nobles. But every kid attended cuicacalli, those are schools that taught Mayan history in songs and stories. Kids memorized history using music. Now let's see what else is going on. The US government has begun to distribute free at-home COVID tests Americans can order for free tests per household though the website has experienced some glitches early on. The White House also has plans to distribute 400 million free and N95 masks, which now you know protect better than cloth masks. For those of you holding out for news of life beyond Earth, like me, we have a disappointing update. In a new study, scientists say a 4 billion-year-old meteorite from Mars found in Antarctica in 1984 shows no signs of life on the Red Planet.
Sound Bit 8:50
Aw, man.
Bethany Van Delft 8:52
If you own comic books, you might want to hold on to them because they could be worth a lot of money one day, a page from a 1984 Spider-Man comic book recently sold at an auction for a whopping $3.36 million. One page. And now for your...
Various Voices 9:16
What, what, what's the big idea?
Bethany Van Delft 9:19
Trivia on the Ten. On January 25, that's today. In one British nation, there's a big holiday called Burns night. Robert Burns is a poet and songwriter who was born way back in 1759. He wrote poems and songs like ‘To a Mousie,’ ‘Auld Lang Syne,’ and ‘To a Haggis.’. Do you know which country is celebrating its national poet Robbie Burns today? Is it a) England b) Scotland or c) Wales? Did you guess it? The answer is B. Robert Burns is Scotland's national poet. He wrote at least 716 poems and songs many of which are in the Scots language, which is similar enough to English so you could probably understand a lot of it. Scottish people celebrate Burns Night by eating haggis, neeps, and tatties. Haggis is a kind of sheep sausage, neeps or turnips, and tatties or mashed potatoes. Kids read Robert Burns poems and might even go to Caley. That's a big dance with live music. Time is up. But before we go, here's a quick note for the grownups. Thanks for listening to the Ten News. Look out for our new episodes on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and extras on Saturdays. The Ten News is a co-production of Small But Mighty Media and Next Chapter Podcasts and is distributed by iHeartRadio. The Ten News creative team is writing poetry and includes Tracey Crooks, Pete Musto, Adam Bernard, Ryan Willard, Tessa Flannery, and Nathalie Alonso. Jacob and Olivia Rozencwaig contributed to this episode. Our production director is Jeremiah Tittle and our executive producers are Donald Albright and show creator Tracy Leeds Kaplan. I'm Bethany Van Delft, and thanks for listening to the Ten News. Don't forget to wear your mask. She said in the worst Scottish accent ever.
