Healthy Trivia
On average, what percentage of an adult male’s body is water? A. Up to 95% B. About 60% C. About 70% D. About 80% Which of the following foods is rich in antioxidants, which protect your body’s cells against unwanted free radicals? A. bananas B. blueberries C. apples D. oranges About how many breaths do adults take in a minute? A. 12-20 B. 30-45 C. 5-15 D. 25-40 Why are leafy green vegetables like spinach, lettuce and kale so good for your body? A. They are a rich source of calcium, which helps build and maintain healthy bones and teeth. B. They are rich in iron, which carries oxygen throughout your body. C. They are rich in fiber, which increases the bulk and speed of food moving through the intestinal tract, thus reducing the time for harmful substances to build up. D. All of the above Which of these foods is not a fruit? A. pumpkin B. cucumber C. cabbage D. avocado
Answers: B, B, A, D, C, D
2022
continued from p. 17 “You are seeing an increase of hospitalizations because a lot of people are getting infected,” Scheib said. “Fortunately, that doesn’t convert to a very high mortality rate right now.” Looking forward, he added, “While you are likely to see cases go up and cases go down – sometimes in large numbers – I would expect fewer of those to convert to hospitalizations over time.” The severity of COVID-19 has lessened as more people have gotten vaccinated. In addition, the immunity of people who’ve contracted the illness is also slowing its spread. Earlier this month, the CDC authorized COVID-19 vaccines for children as young as six months, widening the pool of people eligible for shots. At present, among North Carolinians 12 years and older, 70% are fully vaccinated, according to DHHS. The percentage is the same in Guilford County. “Vaccinations, and particularly booster shots, are continuing to provide broad protection against the worst outcomes of COVID-19, even as the virus keeps evolving,” according to an article last month in STAT, a health-oriented news website. “The majority of people have at least some level of protection against COVID-19 — from vaccination, past infection, or both — meaning that cases…are increasingly less likely to result in severe outcomes.” The typically milder symptoms associated with the Omicron variant have positive and negative ramifications, according to Dr. Jeffrey Greene, a physician for Cone’s LeBauer HealthCare at Summerfield Village in Summerfield.
On average, about how many taste buds are on your tongue? A. Between 100 to 250 B. Between 300 to 500 C. Between 1,000 to 1,500 D. Between 2,000 to 8,000
18
COVID puzzles
While milder illnesses and the wider availability of effective medicines are reducing hospitalizations and deaths, symptoms such as sore throats, coughing, congestion and body and headaches are leading some people to believe they’re suffering from the common cold or allergies. “That’s complicated recognition by our patients,” said Greene, explaining
that people who don’t realize they’re infected may be spreading the illness to people around them. When diagnosed with the infection, some people are surprised, and in some cases guilt-ridden, because of the possibility they may have infected others, Greene said. The doctor said he and his colleagues are diagnosing COVID-19 among patients who are unvaccinated, as well as those who have been vaccinated and boosted. Healthcare organizations such as Cone recommend vaccinations and boosters to guard against the infection. Vaccinations reduce the risk of severe illness and death among people who’ve contracted the virus, according to Greene. The doctor said he advises patients diagnosed with COVID-19 to follow CDC guidelines: they should isolate themselves for five days, and if symptoms are resolving, then they should wear a mask for five days to minimize the risk of infecting others. At Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist, Dr. Ohl said, “Most people who are in our hospitals are still unvaccinated.” When people contract COVID-19, unvaccinated patients are more likely than vaccinated ones to suffer from the most severe symptoms of long COVID, according to Dr. Jake Lemieux, an instructor in medicine at Harvard Medical School and an infectious disease specialist at Massachusetts General Hospital. These post-COVID conditions – such as brain fog, shortness of breath and heart palpitations – affect an estimated 10-30% of people infected by the virus, including some who had no symptoms, according to the American Medical Association. How long symptoms persist isn’t known and has emerged as a focus of medical research aimed at improving care. “Every patient is different, every patient’s symptoms will be different, and potentially the treatment of every patient will be different,” Lemieux said during a consortium led by Harvard Medical School earlier this month. “That’s hard on so many levels – it’s hard to establish which treatments are best for which patients and, of course, it’s hard for patients.”
