Weekly Health Quiz: COVID-19, Vaccination and Forbes

1 The primary mechanism of action behind hydroxychloroquine's ability to prevent and treat COVID-19 is its:

• Ability to shuttle zinc into cells

  HCQ is a zinc ionophore, meaning it shuttles zinc into the cell, and there's compelling evidence to suggest the primary benefit of the HCQ protocol actually comes from the zinc, which effectively inhibits viral replication. Learn more.

• Direct antiviral activity
• Antibacterial activity
• Anti-clotting ability

2 Which of the following are examples of side effects reported after COVID-19 vaccination?

• Improved taste and smell
• Exhaustion, severe allergic reactions and inflammatory syndromes

  Aside from sudden death, examples of side effects include persistent malaise and extreme exhaustion, severe allergic, including anaphylactic reactions, multisystem inflammatory syndrome, psychological disturbances, seizures, convulsions and paralysis, including Bell's Palsy. Learn more.

• General feeling of well-being
• Audiovisual hallucinations

3 Almost everything you see and hear in the mainstream media comes from:

• Independent journalists
• Foreign correspondents
• One of three global news agencies

  Most of the international news coverage in Western media is provided by only three global news agencies, The Associated Press (AP), Reuters and Agence France-Presse (AFP). The key role played by these agencies means Western media often report on the same topics, even using the same wording. Learn more.

• Corporate press releases

4 The majority owner of Forbes magazine is:

• The Forbes family
• A U.S. based left-leaning political organization
• A Venezuelan dictator
• A Chinese media investment company

  In 2014, the Chinese company Integrated Whale Media Investments bought 95% controlling interest in Forbes. Evidence shows Forbes has, since being bought up by a Chinese media investment company in 2014, lost its editorial independence. Learn more.

5 Which of the following genetic engineering technologies was recently used to create a SARS-CoV-2 variant capable of evading neutralizing antibodies?

• Serial passaging

  Scientists are already cooking up more virulent and lethal versions of SARS-CoV-2. By serial passaging live SARS-CoV-2 in plasma obtained from a recovered COVID-19 patient who had high amounts of neutralizing antibodies in it, the virus ended up mutating to evade the antibodies. Learn more.

• CRISPR
• Virtual genetic modeling
• Genetic cloning

6 In order for treatment with hydroxychloroquine and zinc to be effective, you must begin treatment:

• After appropriate randomized controlled trials are completed
• Within the first five days of symptom onset

  Early treatment is crucial. During the first five days of SARS-CoV-2 infection, the viral load remains fairly steady. Around Day 5, it exponentially increases, potentially overwhelming your immune system. To prevent complications, treatment with HCQ and zinc needs to begin within the first five days of symptom onset. Learn more.

• After mechanical ventilation has begun
• Within the first seven days of symptom onset