Last January, during the first omicron surge, I was feeling sick. So I ambled over to my neighborhood COVID testing site, to find a line snaking through the parking lot. I waited over an hour in 20-degree weather for a PCR test, and then two or three days for a text message with the result.
Honestly, that feels like ages ago. (I had to Google just to make sure it really was only a year in the past!) I still swab at the sign of a sniffle, but the whole thing takes place in the span of 20 minutes, in the comfort of my home.
Since rapid antigen tests were developed, we knew we were trading some amount of accuracy for convenience compared to PCR tests. But how big is the trade off? And how well do the at-home tests stand up against the latest variants?
The good news is that by and large, the tests are just as reliable at detecting the virus as they were a year ago. That’s because what’s been changing in the virus from mutation to mutation is mostly the spike protein. (If you picture a coronavirus cell, the spike proteins are the knobby parts that stick out from the round surface). But the antigen tests are looking for a different protein, and that protein hasn’t changed much over time.
Experts say rapid tests are good at confirming that yes you have COVID, but they’re not as good at definitively ruling it out. In other words, you do have to worry about a false negative more than you would with a PCR test. However, if you test properly and repeatedly, you can increase your chance of getting an accurate result, without leaving your house. Here’s what to know about getting the most out of your antigen tests.
Also: Can you get COVID and the flu at the same time?
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Yuki Iwamura/AFP via Getty Images |
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George Carlin once said that leftovers make you feel good twice: “When you first put them away you feel really intelligent: ‘I’m saving food!’...And the second time when they’ve been in the fridge for a month and you throw them out, you think “I’m saving my life!’”
It can be cathartic to poke fun at your family and even yourself for leaving unidentifiable objects in the back of the fridge. But leftovers add up to a serious problem. Over one-third of the food produced in the United States ends up in landfills and incinerators, according to the EPA. And think of all those emissions generated by the food industry: raising cattle, irrigating crops, processing peanuts into peanut butter, etc.
With grocery prices still going up, it’s a great time to take stock of your cooking and shopping habits. NPR spoke with chefs and YouTubers Dzung Lewis and Emmy Cho about small steps you can take to more sustainable, and creative eating.
Also: Fast cooking: Mark Bittman’s strategies on how to make the most of your kitchen
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Bernd Thissen/picture alliance via Getty Image |
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We hope you enjoyed these stories. Find more of NPR's health journalism on Shots and follow us on Twitter at @NPRHealth.
All the best,
Andrea Muraskin and your Shots editors |
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