7 days in healthcare (25th-31st July, 2022)

 

Summary

From the point of view of biomedicine, it should be noted that the origin of acute childhood hepatitis has been discovered, it turns out to be due to a co-infection of two viruses, ruling out covid as the cause of this disease. Major advances by a group of Yale scientists in the treatment of brain tumors, specifically aggressive glioblastoma multiforme, using molecules that attack tumor DNA. Deep Mind (a company of the Alphabet group, parent of Google) launches an algorithm capable of identifying the structure of proteins. It seems that this advance may be of great importance for the discovery of new drugs.

As far as Global Health is concerned, air pollution is a public health emergency, according to the British Medical Journal. The WHO reaches an agreement on a treaty on pandemics, which should be agreed in May-2024.

Regarding international health policy, mention should be made of the declaration by the WHO of monkeypox as a global public health emergency, which is justified by the existence of more than 17,300 cases in more than 70 countries. It seems that it is confirmed that covid-19 originated in the live animal market in Wuhan (China).

If we talk about national health policy (Spain), two deaths in Spain as a result of monkeypox (in both cases due to encephalitis). At the present time there is only one other case of death from this disease in Brazil. The incidence of covid-19 drops very significantly, moving us away from the peak of the seventh wave.

In the field of companies, it should be noted that Fujijilm is going to be transformed into a health company. Teladoc’s notable financial losses. Vivalto Santé, an important French group, acquires the property of Ribera through the sale of Centene Corporation.

Biomedicine

• New type of hepatitis in children: the cause is found. It is a co-infection with two different viruses. The covid virus is ruled out as the culprit. It is an infection by a parvovirus (AAV2) and an adenovirus or herpesvirus (https://www.economist.com/science-and-technology/2022/07/27/the-cause-of-a-new-type-of -hepatitis-in-children-is-found)
• “Science”: Advances in the treatment of brain cancer (glioblastoma multiforme), driven by a company created by researchers at Yale University. Some molecules attack the DNA of the tumor. It seems that the same technology is applicable to other types of tumors (https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.add4839)
• DeepMind (a company owned by Alphabet, parent company of Google) is capable of identifying the structure of more than 200,000 proteins, which would reduce the time for biological discoveries. The AlphaFold algorithm can build the most complete protein database (https://www.ft.com/content/6a088953-66d7-48db-b61c-79005a0a351a)
• A study (published in “Molecular Psychiatry”) questions the hypothesis that a lack of serotonin causes depression (https://elpais.com/salud-y-bienestar/2022-07-29/un-estudio-questiona- the-hypothesis-that-lack-of-serotonin-causes-depression.html)

Global Health

• Air pollution as a public health emergency. 40,000 deaths a year are attributed to this cause in the UK (https://www.bmj.com/content/378/bmj.o1664)
• “Science”: A treaty to break the cycle of pandemics. The WHO has agreed to draft a treaty on pandemics in August 2022, with the idea of ​​reaching an agreement in May-2024. The 12 elements of the pandemic treaty are exposed (https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.abq5917)

International health policy

• Monkeypox
  • The WHO declaration of monkeypox as a global public health emergency, justified by the existence of more than 17,300 cases in more than 70 countries (https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2794922)
  • Monkeypox and the covid-19 mistakes made by rich countries. These countries must quickly share vaccines and treatments with other nations (https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-022-02036-9)
  • Monkeypox, why it affects gays and bisexuals more (https://www.lemonde.fr/les-decodeurs/article/2022/07/25/variole-du-singe-pourquoi-les-hommes-gays-et -bisexuels-sont-ils-advantage-touches_6136068_4355770.html)
  • US to distribute 800,000 doses of monkeypox vaccine (https://www.nytimes.com/2022/07/27/health/monkeypox-vaccine-doses.html)
  • The WHO asks gays to reduce the number of sexual partners to stop monkeypox, which offends the gay community (https://www.elpais.com.uy/informacion/salud/viruela-mono-oms -calls-for-gays-to-reduce-sex-partners-infectologist-warns-stigmatization.html)

• COVID-19
  • They confirm that covid-19 originated in the live animal market in Wuhan (https://www.expansion.com/sociedad/2022/07/27/62e0f19de5fdea7d1a8b4582.html)
  • Unvaccinated youth are driving covid to record numbers in Japan (https://www.ft.com/content/a7c8c376-d4b5-4e9c-8652-ce1fd082e294)

• Controversial ruling in the USA: annulment Roe v Wade
  • Abortion pills raise ethical and legal issues in the US, such as the legality of selling these pills in States where abortion is prohibited or the adequacy of technological platforms and respect for confidentiality (https://www.ft.com/ content/b5383fd1-d71c-407e-abd6-d71f8118df32)
  • Interstate abortion travel is straining the system as waiting lists increase in states where abortion is legal (https://www.nytimes.com/2022/07/23/upshot/abortion-interstate -travel-appointments.html)
  • After Roe, pregnant women diagnosed with cancer may face complicated choices (https://www.nytimes.com/2022/07/23/health/pregnant-woman-cancer-abortion.html)

• Other themes
  • To control obesity, we need to change conditions, not people. Evidence increasingly supports external factors: chronic stress, loneliness, lack of accomplishment or negative events are associated with weight gain (https://www.ft.com/content/dcd36099-68e0-4b66-9d27-2b8284781f9d)

National health policy

• Monkeypox
  • The Ministry of Health confirms the second death in Spain due to monkeypox (both cases due to encephalitis). (https://elpais.com/sociedad/2022-07-30/sanidad-confirma-la-segunda-muerte-en-espana-por-viruela-del-mono.html)

• COVID
  • The seventh wave loses strength: the incidence in people over 60 years of age was reduced to 558 per 100,000 inhabitants (https://www.redaccionmedica.com/directo/coronavirus-ultimas-noticias/20220731)

• Other themes
  • After protests from pharmacists and doctors (OMC), the Ministry of Health “touches up” the new nursing prescription guidelines (https://www.redaccionmedica.com/bisturi/sanidad-retoca-las-nuevas-guias -of-prescription-nurse-9956)
  • Spaniards spend 15% more on healthcare than before the pandemic (https://www.diariomedico.com/medicina/politica/los-espanoles-gastan-un-15-mas-en-sanidad-que-antes- of-the-pandemic.html)
  • Spain will retire an average of 7,500 doctors a year until 2034 (https://www.diariomedico.com/medicina/profesion/espana-jubilara-una-media-de-7500-medicos-al-ano-en-la-proxima -decade.html)

Companies

• International News
  • The rise of Moderna. From a disorganized start-up to a household name: a journalist explains the evolution of this company (https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.add1577)
  • Bavarian Nordic monkeypox vaccine obtains EU approval (https://www.plantadoce.com/empresa/la-vacuna-contra-la-viruela-del-mono-de-bavarian-nordic- obtains-eu-approval.html)
  • Fujifilm, the photography giant, mutates into a health sector giant (https://www.diariomedico.com/medicina/empresas/fujifilm-el-gigante-de-la-fotografia-muta-gigante-del-sector- of-health.html)
  • Teladoc losses hit $10 billion in Q2 this year (https://www.fiercehealthcare.com/health-tech/teladoc-takes-3b-impairment-charge-dragging-down-q2-earnings )

• National News
  • Vivalto Santé acquires the Ribera group from Centene Corporation (https://www.plantadoce.com/empresa/vivalto-sante-adquiere-el-ribera-group-a-centene-corporation.html)
  • Unilabs acquires Grupo Centro Scanner and reaches 60 diagnostic centers in Spain (https://www.eleconomista.es/salud/noticias/11856081/07/22/Unilabs-adquiere-Grupo-Centro-Scanner-y-alcanza- the-60-diagnostic-centers-in-Spain.html)
  • Health insurance expects to continue its growth after covid-19 (https://www.expansion.com/economia/2022/07/27/62e07abbe5fdea3a178b461e.html)