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Science Vs

Coronavirus: Unmasking the Facts and Ibuprofen Scares

Science Vs

Spotify Studios

Education, Science, Health & Fitness

4.412.4K Ratings

🗓️ 24 March 2020

⏱️ 25 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Healthcare workers across the U.S. are saying they don’t have enough protective gear to keep them safe against the coronavirus. They’re having to reuse masks, and they’re worried that they may have to resort to homemade cloth masks. Is all this safe? Plus, reports are saying that ibuprofen, the stuff in Advil, is making people with coronavirus sicker. But what does the science say? To find out we spoke to infectious disease expert Professor Raina MacIntyre, industrial hygienist Dr. Rachael Jones, public health researcher Professor Carlos Del Rio, and cardiologist Dr. Yogendra Kanthi.  UPDATE 4/23/20: An earlier version of this episode said that health care workers using N95 masks had roughly half the infection rate of workers using classic surgical masks. We’ve updated the episode to clarify that the study only compared the infection rates to a control group, not each other. Here’s a link to our transcript: https://bit.ly/3agVF4i Selected References The best study we could find on cloth masks: https://bit.ly/3bmRHaI  Study showing that N95 masks are best for healthcare workers: https://bit.ly/2xfvKLT  The Lancet letter theorizing about why ibuprofen might be risky: https://bit.ly/2QEDFt6    This episode was produced by Meryl Horn, Wendy Zukerman, Rose Rimler, Michelle Dang, Laura Morris and Sinduja Srinivasan. We’re edited by Blythe Terrell and Caitlin Kenney. Fact checking by Lexi Krupp. Mix and sound design by Catherine Anderson. Music written by Peter Leonard, Emma Munger, and Bobby Lord. A big thanks to all the researchers and healthcare workers that we got in touch with for this episode, including Professor Paul Little, Dr Kirsty Short, Siyab Panhwar, and Ayman Saeyeldin. And special thanks to Meg Driscoll, the Zukerman family and Joseph Lavelle Wilson. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0

Where are you?

0:01.1

Asteroid City.

0:02.2

From director Wes Anderson.

0:04.0

Welcome to your stargazers and space cadets.

0:06.8

What are those pulses indicate?

0:08.3

The beeps and blips we don't know.

0:09.8

There's an alien.

0:11.8

That actually happened.

0:12.8

This June, place all witnesses under a group arrest.

0:15.8

How long can they keep us in Asteroid City?

0:17.8

I'm in O'Hurry.

0:18.8

I like aliens.

0:19.8

Jason Schwartzman, Scarlett Johansson, Tom Hanks.

0:23.2

What a strange experience this is.

0:25.4

Asteroid City, in cinemas June 23.

0:28.4

Booktickets now.

0:31.0

Say hello to Muddybody, the period underwear that actually works.

0:36.0

Featuring a leak proof absorbent lining.

0:38.4

Their comfy styles feel just like your regular underwear.

0:41.6

And come in a range of sizes, styles and absorbencies to suit everybody.

0:47.0

Periods, pee and sweat shouldn't control your day.

0:49.8

With Muddybody, you can do what you love without worrying about leaks.

...

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