Town Square

Understanding COVID booster shots and at-home test kits

Is what we’re doing really working? What could we do better? Experts help clarify the confusion on testing results, getting booster shots, and which COVID test kits are best to use.

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Boxes of BinaxNow home COVID-19 tests made by Abbott and QuickVue home tests made by Quidel are shown for sale Monday, Nov. 15, 2021, at a CVS store in Lakewood, Wash., south of Seattle.

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Town Square with Ernie Manouse airs at 3 p.m. CT. Tune in on 88.7FM, listen online or subscribe to the podcast. Join the discussion at 888-486-9677, questions@townsquaretalk.org or @townsquaretalk.

If you get your COVID booster shot, are you better protected from Omicron over the next few months?

Is there a second booster that will become available soon?

Many people are confused with questions like these and want to understand testing and what it means to test positive.

With the government now issuing COVID home test kits, we know there are antigen tests and rapid tests that people are using. Some are even utilizing inexpensive paper tests because they feel they're easier to use for activities such as going to the movies or a concert. And, although paper tests aren't completely accurate, others may be comfortable with them being accurate enough.

Should we be investing in things like inexpensive paper tests, or should we continue to take the route we're taking?

In today's episode, medical experts address these questions and more on the state of COVID today, as well as the percentages of people getting ill versus the number of people becoming infected, and how to understand when to come out from isolation after testing positive.

To learn how to obtain free government Covid test kits, go to www.covidtests.gov or call 800-232-0233.

GUESTS:

Luis Ostrosky

  • Chief of Infectious Disease with McGovern Medical School at UTHealth Houston
  • and Memorial Hermann

James McDeavitt

  • Executive Vice President and Dean of Clinical Affairs at Baylor College of Medicine

Town Square with Ernie Manouse airs at 3 p.m. CT. Tune in on 88.7FM, listen online or subscribe to the podcast. Join the discussion at 888-486-9677, questions@townsquaretalk.org or @townsquaretalk.

 

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This article is part of the Town Square with Ernie Manouse podcast

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