Believe it or not, all medical research and advancements did not come to a screeching halt when the Covid-19 pandemic set in. While the news media has completely ignored all other medical advancements, let me shed some light on what has been happening the last few months. The National Institutes of Health describes a new discovery regarding mycobacterium tuberculosis. According to new research, they have found a rather simple way to improve efficacy of the tuberculosis vaccine. It turns out, that changing the route of vaccination administration from intradermal to intravenous greatly improves the effectiveness. The study has shown that when the vaccine is given intravenously, the critical number of T cells in the lungs is much higher. T cells are a critical portion of the immune system and this simple discovery is a huge step forward in the field of TB research.
MdLinx comments on another great medical innovation of 2020, peanut immunotherapy. Many children experience fatal allergies to peanuts and it is a constant worry for parents that they may be accidentally exposed in day to day life. But, this new immunotherapy technique uses medical grade peanut protein in a pill form to slowly desensitize patients. They start with a micro-dose and very slowly build up the amount of exposure. 75% of patients were able to handle up to a 300mg dose by the end of the therapy treatment. Even though this is only equivalent to around one peanut, this could prevent life threatening responses to accidental exposures.
In my personal opinion, I feel very comforted by the fact that the medical community is continuing to push forward in research even given our current situation with Covid-19. It gives me some reassurance that after this pandemic settles, the rest of medical advancements won’t be stunted for months to come due to lack of attention. Instead, the fight to bettering health care as a whole has seamlessly continued, even in a state of emergency.
Kinsey's Blog 