SUMMARY

From an international point of view, the article published in The Lancet should be highlighted, in which mortality due to antimicrobial resistance, one of the most important causes of death in the world, is analyzed at a global level. Also the demand of the British Medical Journal that the scientific community have access to all the original data on the clinical trials of vaccines, since at this time these data are only accessible to employees of pharmaceutical companies. The Economist analyzes if the mandatory nature of the vaccine works, concluding that it does. It looks like all the COVID restrictions in England are going to end soon. The European Union gives more powers to the EMA, in case of having to manage future health crises.

As for the national news, the pandemic is still unchecked, in very high numbers and with high mortality; the debate on treating the covid as influenza continues, with opposing positions, those who are against it and those who defend it; the Ministry of Health wants to advance in the recertification, in dialogue with the FACME and the Organization of Medical Orders; The situation of health insurance in 2021 is presented, which did not stop growing, until the sector as a whole reached a turnover of close to 10,000 million euros; the Madrid College of Physicians signs a controversial agreement with UNIPROMEL, in theory to “defend doctors in free practice”, but, more possibly, with the intention of reinforcing the current weakened board of directors.

As far as companies are concerned, perhaps the most outstanding news is the sale by IBM of Watson Health, the artificial intelligence solution, designed to solve diagnostic and therapeutic problems, which had had so many problems in some centers such as MD Anderson from Houston. Although it was a good and ambitious idea, it was possibly ruined by short-termism, hyperselling and not taking enough into account the complexities of medicine and medical practice.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

• The Lancet publishes an article on the mortality of antimicrobial resistance. 204 countries and territories are analyzed in 2019. 4.95 million deaths from antimicrobial resistance were found in 2019. Antimicrobial resistance is one of the most important causes of death in the world (The Lancet, 20 January 22)
• The British Medical Journal, after the Tamiflu experience, asks that the original data (raw data) from the clinical trials of vaccines be accessible to all researchers, not just those from the pharmaceutical industry, as is the case now (BMJ, January 19, 22)
• The WHO gives the green light to the wider use of the third dose against COVID (FT, January 21, 22)
• The fourth dose of the vaccine, infective in the extension of the “ómicron” variant, according to an Israeli study (FT, January 18, 22)
• The Economist analyzes if the compulsory nature of the vaccine works. After analyzing the cases of Canada, France, Italy and Germany, he concludes that it works (The Economist, January 22, 22)
• The covid passport strengthens the economy and vaccination (FT, January 18, 22)
• Bill Gates warns against a pandemic potentially worse than COVID and calls on governments to spend billions of dollars to prevent it. He also says that this effort can contribute to improving the prevention and treatment of current extended diseases: HIV, tuberculosis, malaria (FT, January 19, 22)
• All restrictions in England may end in March, according to the British Prime Minister’s plans (The Guardian, 17 January 22)
• The EU approves the reform that gives more powers to the EMA in the management of future health crises (The Objective, 20 January 22)
• Italy registers an increase in vaccination, after making it mandatory for those over 50 years of age (El País, January 17, 22)

NATIONAL NEWS

• Situation of the pandemic

o COVID, still unchecked, breaks a new record of 3,418 cases per 100,000 inhabitants (El País, January 21, 22)

o The ICUs are at the limit of their structural capacity but far from the worst moments (El País, January 17, 22)

• Debate about dealing with the covid as if were “flu”

o Two opposing positions:

 “Gripalizing the covid or how to believe we are winners”, article by Santiago Cervera, January 15, 22)

 Antonio Zapatero is committed to self-care and not to restrictions (El Español, January 17, 22)

• Sick leave

o Processed 21,000 sick leaves and registrations in Madrid in the first days of the new system (El País, January 20, 22)

o The doctors accuse Escrivá of violating the law with the casualties, by giving in the same act for 7 days (La Razón, January 17, 22)

• Recertification

o The Ministry of Health commits with FACME and the WTO to promote professional recertification (Acta Sanitaria, January 21, 22)

• Situation schools

o The avalanche of school confinements puts families on the ropes (El País, January 21, 22)

• Health insurance

o Health insurance grows by 4.93% in 2021 and totals 9,849 million euros (Acta Sanitaria, January 18, 22)

o According to forecasts by Javier Murillo, health insurance will grow in 2022 by around 5.5-6% (presentation at ICEA)

o MJ Montero (Finance Minister): great support for the MUFACE system (MUFACE Magazine, nº 252, winter 2021)

• Other issues

o Organ transplants overcome the slump of 2020 and grow 8% in 2021 (El País, January 21, 22)

o Argimón presents the 2021-2025 health plan (Consalud, January 20, 22)

o Health, forced by Transparency to deliver to Farmaindustria the minutes of the Pharmacy Commission of the Interterritorial Council (diariofarma, January 16, 22)

o The MIR exam will bring together candidates from 4 continents and 88 countries (redacción Médica, January 20, 22)

o The Madrid College of Physicians signs an agreement with UNIPROMEL, “to defend free practice physicians” (Official Note ICOMEM, January 21, 22)

o Health awards 81 linear accelerators, in compliance with the INVEAT plan, three lots: Ab Salud, Varian and Elekta (ConSalud, January 18, 22)

COMPANIES, EMPLOYERS AND MAIN ACTORS IN HEALTH

• IBM sells Watson Health to an investment firm. The sale was preceded by resounding failures of this artificial intelligence tool for medical diagnosis and treatment (WSJ, January 21, 22)
• Moderna intends to launch a joint COVID-flu vaccine in two years (The Guardian, January 17, 22)
• Djokovic has 80% of the shares in a Danish biotech firm (QuantBioRes) that intends to release a vaccine against COVID (The Guardian, January 19, 22)
• Pfizer becomes the largest provider of the pandemic and it is estimated that it will double its income (eldiario.es, January 17, 22)
• Pfizer, AstraZeneca and the Chinese Sinopharm and Sinovac will manufacture 70% of the COVID vaccines (CincoDías, January 20, 22)
• Merck entrusts the manufacture of its pill against COVID to 27 manufacturers (PlantaDoce, January 20, 22)
• More than 100 laboratories in Asia and Africa could manufacture vaccines for Pfizer and Moderna (El Independiente, January 19, 22)
• The “telecos” take advantage of the pandemic to add clients in telemedicine (El Independiente, January 19, 22)
• AstraZeneca, the most widely used COVID vaccine in the world that is no longer administered in Spain (El Español, January 21, 22)
• St John of God (important hospital network in Spain, until now divided into three “provinces”) consolidates its management structure at the national level (Acta Sanitaria, January 20, 22)
• Acciona, Sacyr and OHLA bid for a new hospital in Chile for 265 million euros (PlantaDoce, January 16, 22)
• Dental Residency, objective by 2022 to double billing and provide coverage to 250,000 residents (PlantaDoce, January 20, 22)
• The EMA asks HIPRA to show greater efficiency than Pfizer, if it wants to be part of the European Union’s portfolio (El Economista, January 18, 22)
• HIPRA will carry out the last clinical trial of its vaccine at HM Hospitals (El Economista, January 17, 22).
• Viamed is preparing an offer for one of the “Catholic” hospitals in Madrid: San Francisco and Beata María Ana (Sanifax, January 21, 22)
• ASISA renews its Board of Directors with three members, one internal and two independent directors (Europa Press, January 20, 22)
• Mercadona offered the Government to sell tests in its establishments at 2.90 euros. The Government preferred to keep pharmacies as the only test point of sale (Sanifax, January 20, 22)
• Lilly publishes an overview of start ups in health in Spain (Lilly, January 22)