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Friday January 29, 2021

Coronavirus FAQ: I'm Using A UV Light To Disinfect Stuff. Is That A Good Idea?

A handheld ultraviolet-C wand is waved over the surface of a computer keyboard. Michele Abercrombie/NPR hide caption

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Michele Abercrombie/NPR

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Coronavirus FAQ: I'm Using A UV Light To Disinfect Stuff. Is That A Good Idea?

January 29, 2021 • Researchers are looking into several key points: Can ultraviolet light kill the coronavirus, and is it safe to use? Or might your eyes pay a price?

Friday January 22, 2021

Coronavirus FAQ: Why Am I Suddenly Hearing So Much About KF94 Masks?

South Korea's KF94 mask does a good job concealing the Mona Lisa's smile — but how effective is it at preventing coronavirus spread? Here, masked pedestrians stroll through a shopping district in Seoul. Chung Sung-Jun/Getty Images hide caption

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Chung Sung-Jun/Getty Images

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Coronavirus FAQ: Why Am I Suddenly Hearing So Much About KF94 Masks?

January 22, 2021 • There are N95s, reserved for health workers. There are KN95s, which you can buy easily — except that quality may vary. And now South Korea's KF94 masks are getting a lot of buzz.

Friday January 15, 2021

Coronavirus FAQ: Do Airplane Passengers Not Know There's A Pandemic Going On?

Malaka Gharib/NPR

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Coronavirus FAQ: Do Airplane Passengers Not Know There's A Pandemic Going On?

January 15, 2021 • Our correspondent took a flight Sunday and saw a number of concerning things in airports and on planes. So many questions were raised. We went in search of answers.

Friday January 8, 2021

Coronavirus FAQ: How Do I Protect Myself From The U.K. Variant?

London sends a message about how to reduce the risk of exposure to the newly detected U.K. variant. Tolga Akmen/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

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Tolga Akmen/AFP via Getty Images

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Coronavirus FAQ: How Do I Protect Myself From The U.K. Variant?

January 8, 2021 • The newly detected strain — dubbed B.1.1.7 — appears to be more contagious. What precautions might be effective in trying to keep from getting infected?

Wednesday December 16, 2020

Coronavirus FAQ: Should I Wash My Kid's Clothes Every Day After School?

Students wear masks at a school in Baghdad. Anadolu Agency/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images hide caption

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Anadolu Agency/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

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Coronavirus FAQ: Should I Wash My Kid's Clothes Every Day After School?

December 16, 2020 • Plus: Can the virus make me sick many years later, like the chickenpox virus does?

Friday December 4, 2020

Coronavirus FAQs: Are Playgrounds Too Risky? Do I Need A Mask For Outdoor Exercise?

Malaka Gharib/NPR

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Coronavirus FAQs: Are Playgrounds Too Risky? Do I Need A Mask For Outdoor Exercise?

December 4, 2020 • States are closing down playgrounds again as case counts rise. Is that a good idea? Also: What's the deal with masks and outdoor exercise?

Friday November 20, 2020

Coronavirus FAQ: How Safe Is It To Work Out In A Gym Or Play Indoor Sports?

People attend a SoulCycle class under an outdoor tent in September in New York City. Noam Galai/Getty Images hide caption

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Noam Galai/Getty Images

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Coronavirus FAQ: How Safe Is It To Work Out In A Gym Or Play Indoor Sports?

November 20, 2020 • And what about those outdoor tents that gyms and spin studios are setting up? Is it safe to exercise in there, too?

Friday November 13, 2020

Coronavirus FAQ: How Do I Clean My Mask — Washing Machine? Oven? Broccoli Steamer?

Malaka Gharib/NPR

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Coronavirus FAQ: How Do I Clean My Mask — Washing Machine? Oven? Broccoli Steamer?

November 13, 2020 • Readers want to know the best way to maintain a reusable mask? There are a few options. But spoiler alert ... keep it out of the oven!

Monday November 9, 2020

Coronavirus FAQ: Could COVID-19 Ever Be Considered A Preexisting Condition?

A nurse checks vitals for a Navajo woman, who came to a coronavirus testing center in Arizona, complaining of virus symptoms. Mark Ralston/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

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Mark Ralston/AFP via Getty Images

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Coronavirus FAQ: Could COVID-19 Ever Be Considered A Preexisting Condition?

November 9, 2020 • That's a question people are asking as the Supreme Court hears oral arguments for a case on the future of the Affordable Care Act — which guarantees coverage for preexisting conditions.

Friday November 6, 2020

Coronavirus FAQs: Should I Purell My Nostrils? Can Lysol Disinfect The Air?

Malaka Gharib/NPR

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Coronavirus FAQs: Should I Purell My Nostrils? Can Lysol Disinfect The Air?

November 6, 2020 • Can rubbing hand sanitizer inside the nostrils help reduce infection? Can spraying Lysol in a room every hour or so disinfect the air? Plus: a primer on how to use hand sanitizer effectively.

Tuesday November 3, 2020

Coronavirus FAQs: Are 3 Masks Better Than 1? Will Mouthwash Keep You Safe?

Connie Hanzhang Jin/NPR

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Coronavirus FAQs: Are 3 Masks Better Than 1? Will Mouthwash Keep You Safe?

November 3, 2020 • Readers are asking: Should we double up on masks for double the protection? Does gargling with mouthwash have an impact on the virus?

Friday October 23, 2020

Coronavirus FAQs: What's Up With Bubble Dining? Should You Hand Out Halloween Candy?

The latest pandemic dining twist is the outdoor bubble, seen here at a New York City restaurant. Sure, it's a way to stay warm as winter looms ... but does it reduce your risk of getting infected by COVID-19? Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images hide caption

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Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

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Coronavirus FAQs: What's Up With Bubble Dining? Should You Hand Out Halloween Candy?

October 23, 2020 • Answers to your COVID-19 questions about how to handle Halloween trick-or-treaters, whether it's safe to eat in a restaurant's outdoor bubble and whether you can be infected through your ear canal.

Friday October 16, 2020

Coronavirus FAQs: Open Windows In Winter, Holding Your Breath, Sprayed Masks?

When it's cold outside, is it safe to bring a socially distanced gathering into your house if the windows are open for a short bit and then shut so indoor temperatures don't plummet? We answer this question below. Tessa Bunney/Corbis via Getty Images hide caption

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Tessa Bunney/Corbis via Getty Images

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Coronavirus FAQs: Open Windows In Winter, Holding Your Breath, Sprayed Masks?

October 16, 2020 • This week our readers have lots of — interesting — queries involving opening windows during winter in North Dakota, trying not to breathe during a micro-encounter and spraying a mask with ... oil?

Friday October 9, 2020

Coronavirus FAQ: What's The Deal With The '15 Minute Rule'?

Outdoor dining in Bonn, Germany. Indoor dining is riskier than outdoor meals, experts say. Outdoor air can disrupt viral particles that have been expelled. Andreas Rentz/Getty Images hide caption

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Andreas Rentz/Getty Images

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Coronavirus FAQ: What's The Deal With The '15 Minute Rule'?

October 9, 2020 • The conventional wisdom is that it takes 15 minutes of close contact to a contagious person to put you at risk. But even a short exposure could prove problematic.

Friday October 2, 2020

Coronavirus FAQ: Folks At Trump-Biden Debate Were Scanned For Fever. Is That Helpful?

A temperature check is conducted at a Trump campaign rally last month in Toledo, Ohio. Stephen Zenner/LightRocket via Getty Images hide caption

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Stephen Zenner/LightRocket via Getty Images

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Coronavirus FAQ: Folks At Trump-Biden Debate Were Scanned For Fever. Is That Helpful?

October 2, 2020 • Temperature scans are becoming commonplace around the world — at political events, at doctors' offices, at airports and more. Do they provide useful info to help reduce the spread of COVID-19?