Weekly Health Quiz: COVID-19, Gardening and Biology

1 More than 99% of fatalities from COVID-19 in Italy occurred among people who had:

• Genetic predisposition
• Underlying medical conditions

  According to a study by The Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Italy's national health authority, more than 99% of fatalities from COVID-19 occurred among people who had underlying medical conditions. Learn more.

• Been exposed to a family member with the disease
• Visited a hospital

2 Which of the following is the largest funder of the World Health Organization?

• Coca-Cola Co.
• The Ford Foundation
• The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

  Only 25% of WHO's funding comes from member states. The remaining 75% comes from voluntary contributions. The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation — the investments of which include junk food manufacturers, alcohol and drug retailers — is the biggest funder. Learn more.

• The Sackler family

3 Which of the following types of drugs have been shown effective against COVID-19?

• Statins (cholesterol medication)
• Blood pressure medication
• Blood thinners
• Anti-malaria medication

  Two older drugs now being used against COVID-19 are the malaria medications chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine. A biotech company called Distributed Bio also claims to have developed an antibody therapy against COVID-19. The drug will be tested for efficacy by the U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases. Learn more.

4 The Secure 5G and Beyond Act (S. 893) and the Broadband Deployment Accuracy and Technological Availability Act (S. 1822) will accelerate the rollout of a potentially dangerous technology that exposes Americans to:

• EMFs in the form of the millimeter wave (MMW)

  The duo will accelerate the adoption of 5G, or "5th Generation," wireless networks across the U.S. — and in so doing, force Americans to receive unprecedented levels of exposure to the millimeter wave (MMW), which has shown potential to harm human health and the environment. Learn more.

• Particulate pollution
• Pesticides
• Blue light

5 Growing your own garden improves your health:

• By using herbicides and pesticides, building fences to keep out neighborhood animals and selling your produce
• Through exercise, diverse nutrition, staying physically active and stress reduction

  Growing your own garden improves your health through exercise, diverse nutrition, physical activity and stress reduction. You can grow food all year round, indoors and outside. Learn more.

• Because as you till your garden space, you use chemicals to control pests and don't have to go to the grocery store for produce
• Because of adding chemical fertilizer and building fences to keep out animals

6 Which of the following describes the field of systems biology?

• Determining how any given part works separately from other parts
• Identifying biological agents (such as a drug) that work for everyone with a given disease
• Deciphering the synergies within living systems

  Systems biology deciphers the synergies within living systems to understand how to diagnose, assess and identify the underlying problem, and how to administer the most appropriate remedy. Learn more.

• Human dissection and analysis

7 Which of the following supplements may be helpful for the prevention of COVID-19 and other viral infections?

• Melatonin
• Vitamin B1
• Vitamin C
• All of the above

  Supplements showing promise for the prevention of viral infections such as COVID-19 include melatonin, zinc and vitamins B1 (thiamine), C and D. Learn more.