VIDEO: "Secret Handshake' Of Virus Variants

India's COVID Undercount; Haiti's Impressive Numbers [View this email online]( [NPR]( Goats and Soda editor's note NPR YouTube Why are some coronavirus variants more infectious than others? Our new video, featuring correspondent Michaeleen Doucleff, explains it all, [using animated puzzle pieces to teach its lesson.]( When Doucleff's 5-year-old daughter, Rosy, previewed the video, she said, "You know what's stuck in my mind? 'It's like a secret handshake ... and the cell says, OK you can come in ... OOOH big mistake." And then Rosy asked, "Why is it a big mistake, Mama?" I don't want to spoil it all by telling you what the "big mistake" is, so you'll have to watch the video to find out. [Here's the link.]( I can't wait to see how my granddaughter reacts! Marc Silver Editor, Goats and Soda --------------------------------------------------------------- Newsletter continues after sponsor message --------------------------------------------------------------- the week's most popular story Valerie Baeriswyl /AFP via Getty Image [One Of The World's Poorest Countries Has One Of The World's Lowest COVID Death Rates]( At the end of April, only 254 deaths were attributed to COVID-19 in Haiti over the course of the entire pandemic. Why has the death rate been so low? coronavirus faqs Spenser Heaps/Deseret Newsotographer/Source [Is It A Big Deal If I Skip Or Delay The 2nd Dose Of My Vaccine?]( Some folks are taking their first vaccine dose in a two-dose regiment, then deciding to skip the second one altogether or maybe to delay it longer than suggested. That's a topic that Dr. Anthony Fauci took on. in the news Jewel Samad/AFP via Getty Images [India Is Counting Thousands Of Daily COVID Deaths. How Many Is It Missing?]( Across India, funeral pyres light up the night sky. Playgrounds and parking lots in New Delhi have been converted into mass cremation grounds. Yet the real number of infections and deaths may be many times more than the reported figures. [Why Is India Running Out Of Oxygen?]( Hospitals don't have enough oxygen for patients on ventilators. There are delivery bottlenecks. Families are sometimes told to get their own supplies. Health experts say it didn't have to be this way. [Trapped By India's Travel Bans: Workers, Expats, Families ... Aussie Cricket Players]( Mounting COVID-19 travel restrictions are meant to contain the Indian variant. But citizens and visitors alike are feeling frustrated. [The U.N. Takes Aim At A 'Silent Epidemic': Drowning]( This week, in the middle of a pandemic, the United Nations took a stand about an issue that has nothing to do with disease but is one of the top causes of death for children ages 5 to 14. photos and videos Anna Boyiazis [Want To See Inspiring Pix? Check Out These Award-Winning Photos]( This year's Leica Women Foto Project highlights girls defying cultural taboos by learning to swim in Zanzibar and a young Native American runner who triumphed despite a coach's lack of faith. [WHO Film Festival: Starring Matchsticks As Burnt Out Health Workers]( "Phosphoros," whose stars are matchsticks, is on the shortlist for a World Health Organization short film competition. Winners will be named May 13. Until then, the public can tune in and weigh in. links we like - Quartz explains why the Oscar-winning documentary [My Octopus Teacher]( a "complicated" win for South Africa.]( - The World Food Programme reports that [food insecurity in 2020 soared to a five-year high.]( - Officials in Mexico City are deploying musicians and masked wrestlers [to ease fears at COVID vaccine sites]( reports The New York Times. - A woman from Mali gave birth to [nine healthy babies]( in what could be a world first. She was only expecting ... seven. --------------------------------------------------------------- Stream your local NPR station. Visit NPR.org to find your local station stream. --------------------------------------------------------------- What do you think of today's email? We'd love to hear your thoughts, questions and feedback: [goatsandsoda@npr.org](mailto:goatsandsoda@npr.org?subject=Newsletter%20Feedback) Enjoying this newsletter? Forward to a friend! They can [sign up here](. Looking for more great content? [Check out all of our newsletter offerings]( — including Health, Daily News, Code Switch and more! You received this message because you're subscribed to Goats and Soda emails. This email was sent by National Public Radio, Inc., 1111 North Capitol Street NE, Washington, DC 20002 [Unsubscribe]( | [Privacy Policy]( [NPR logo]