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Fatal Netcare Helicopter Crash to Be Investigated

On By ModernMedia

The Civil Aviation Authority has dispatched investigators to the crash site  of a Netcare helicopter on Thursday, in which five people including four health care professionals lost their lives.

The ECMO-equipped air ambulance, Netcare 1, was en route to Hillcrest in KZN to pick up a critically ill patient for transfer back to Milpark Hospital in Johannesburg. The helicopter went down near Bergville..

Netcare on Thursday released the names of those aboard:
Dr Kgopotso Rudolf Mononyane, an anaesthetist. Dr Mononyane had delayed the flight in order to try help to save the life of Jackson Mthembu, who unfortunately passed away from a COVID-related illness.
Curnick Siyabonga Mahlangu, a cardiothoracic surgeon.Mpho Xaba, a specialist theatre nurse for cardiothoracic and transplant.
The above three were all from Netcare Milpark Hospital.
Sinjin Joshua Farrance, an advanced life support paramedic at Netcare 911, Mark Stroxreiter, a helicopter pilot who worked for the National Airways Corporation.

Health Minister Zwile Mkhize said: “We’d like to convey our very sincere condolences to the families of all those doctors and pilot who lost their lives. We know their dedication, their hard work and their effort to try to save lives all the time.”

Dr Richard Friedland, chief executive officer of Netcare said: “We are shocked beyond words at the tragic loss of these healthcare heroes. The whole of Netcare falls silent as we bow our heads in tribute, respect, love and memory of our fallen colleagues and frontline heroes who have died in the line of duty.”

No cause for the accident has yet been identified, although videos from the scene show that wreckage was spread in a wide area. Unconfirmed reports from witnesses recounted a mid-air explosion, whilst a voice note circulating on social media claimed that the helicopter fell to the ground and exploded.

Source: IOL News

Categories : Uncategorized

South African 510Y.V2 COVID Strain Resistant to Previous Antibodies

On By ModernMedia

Results from a National Institute of Communicable Diseases (NICD) study shows that immunity gained against the initial strains of SARS-CoV-2 is blunted against the new 501Y.V2 strain that originated in South Africa.

The new variants which are more transmissible have mutations to their spike proteins that give the coronavirus its distinctive shape—and to which immune antibodies bind. Scientists have been concerned that the new strains may also escape vaccine containment, especially the E484K mutation, which has been observed in new strains found in Brazil and South Africa.

In the study, which is awaiting peer review, researchers took plasma from patients who had recovered from the original COVIDs, and tested those samples against the 501Y.V2 virus variant to measure antibody reaction. The virus was more resistant to these antibodies, which had been built up from previous infections. “Here we show that the 501Y.V2 lineage, which contains nine spike mutations and rapidly emerged in South Africa during the second half of 2020, is largely resistant to neutralising antibodies elicited by infection with previously circulating lineages,” said the researchers.

“This suggests that, despite the many people who have already been infected with SARS-CoV-2 globally and are presumed to have accumulated some level of immunity, new variants such as 501Y.V2 pose a significant re-infection risk.”

The researchers noted that these findings may have implications for those treated with convalescent plasma (a donor programme for which  is run by the South African National Blood Service). Additionally, there were “implications” for those vaccines that were developed based around an immune response to the virus’ spike proteins.

Vaccines may therefore have to be adjusted to account for the new spike mutation in order to retain effectiveness against variants possessing that mutation. The developers of the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine are already preparing to proactively adjust their vaccines to account for the new strains emerging around the world.

Commenting to the Science Media Centre, Lames Naismith, Director of the Rosalind Franklin Institute said that it was “not good news but it’s not unexpected.

“He said that real-world immune responses are more complicated than those of the blood plasma neutralising antibodies. “The vaccines do stimulate very strong responses, immunity is a sliding scale, it’s not an on/off switch,” he explained.

In another study posted online, it was reported that antibodies from recovered patients did mostly protect against B.1.1.7, the variant that originated in the UK.

“Our results suggest that the majority of vaccine responses should be effective against the B.1.1.7 variant,” concluded researchers from one the UK/Netherlands studies.

A separate study showed that the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine also appeared to confer protection against that variant as well, with the authors concluding that it was “unlikely” that the B.1.1.7 variant could escape vaccine protection.

Source: Medical Xpress

Categories : COVID UncategorizedTags :

SA Government Aims for a Corruption-free Vaccine Programme

On By ModernMedia

In the past week, President Cyril Ramaphosa and health minister Zweli Mkhize have undertaken a publicity drive to demonstrate how the government is working to ensure a tightly controlled vaccine drive that is not plagued by corruption. This is to avoid a repeat of the corruption in PPE acquisition last year, with some R10.5 billion being investigated for looting, with an Auditor-General report finding some items being purchased at five times the going price.

These efforts include centralised transactions which involve the auditor-general looking out for any discrepancies. Vaccine acquisition and roll-out planning will be handled by the government, with the private sector being tapped for storage and distribution. “What we have done is to get the Treasury and the Department of Health’s office of the chief procurement officer to oversee any form of transaction that is going to happen.

“Right now the procurement of the vaccines is within government. It makes it easier because it’s a tight-knit set of people, the prices are known, the manufacturers are known, the deviation is specific and it’s not the same as what we had in PPE where there were so many vendors, suppliers and so many different prices,” he said.

Furthermore, there will be consultation with the Attorney General. “We are going to say [to the AG]… these are the risks we have identified and ask them to analyse our plans and see if there are further risks we must be aware of and how we can work together to prevent any risk of looting,” Mkhize said.

Medical aid schemes have voiced concerns over the process, having sourced vaccines for their members as well as contributing to the vaccination costs of those not covered by any medical aid scheme.

President Ramaphosa said that South Africa would have pre-paid like other countries to secure vaccines, even given the risks of them failing, if it had the funds to do so.

However, he affirmed that there are funds available to buy the vaccination scheme, saying: “we are going to have the money, it will come from Treasury. There is just no way we can say, when it comes to saving the lives of South Africans, that we don’t have the money. The money will be there. It has to be there to save the lives of South Africans. That one will be my bottom line.”

The Covax programme will provide a vaccine for 10% of the population in the second quarter of 2021, for which a deposit of R283 million has been paid. A further 1.5-million vaccine doses have been secured from AstraZeneca and 9-million from Johnson & Johnson (J&J). The J&J vaccine only requires a single dose to confer immunity, so should be able to cover 9 million people.

“J&J will be producing through Aspen here at home, and we are hoping to get the bulk of our supply from there, once the production starts,” said Ramaphosa.

Source: Times Live

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Light Drinking Still Raises Atrial Fibrillation Risk

On By ModernMedia

Even light drinking is associated with an increased risk of atrial fibrillation (Afib) for both sexes, according to a large cohort study by Renate Schnabel, MD, of University Heart & Vascular Center Hamburg, and colleagues.

Drawing on five European cohorts totalling 100 092 participants, the researchers found that 12g of alcohol (one beer can) was associated with increased risk of Afib (Hazard Ratio 1.16, 95% Confidence Interval 1.11-1.22).  A small amount of alcohol (2g) per day was still marginally associated with an increase in Afib risk after 14 years (HR 1.02, 95% CI 1.0-1.04). The association remained after accounting for heart failure history and the cardiac biomarkers NT-proBNP and hs-troponin I, and there was no difference in results between males and females.

There was a J-shaped relationship observed, where drinking more than 20g per day was associated with increased risk.To date, there had been little information on the cardiac effects of chronic light drinking, and the results showed that lowering alcohol intake was an important part of managing Afib, it was noted in an accompanying editorial. It was also noted that these results needed further randomised trials.

The team acknowledged the study’s limitation on relying on self-reported alcohol consumption, and also cases of Afib not being detected. The editorial noted that the study did not state the absolute risk of Afib, which needed to be taken in consideration along with the benefits of low levels of alcohol consumption

Source: MedPage Today

Journal information (primary source): Csengeri D, et al “Alcohol consumption, cardiac biomarkers, and risk of atrial fibrillation and adverse outcomes” Eur Heart J 2021; DOI: 10.1093/eurheartj/ehaa953.

Journal information (secondary source): Wong JA and Conen D “Alcohol consumption, atrial fibrillation, and cardiovascular disease: finding the right balance” Eur Heart J 2021; DOI: 10.1093/eurheartj/ehaa955.

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FDA Approves New Medication for the Treatment of Progeria

On By ModernMedia

On Friday, the FDA gave approval for the first medication able to actually treat the rare disease, Hutchinson–Gilford progeria syndrome (HGPS), which causes premature aging. Prior to the development of this medication in 2007, only palliative care was available to treat the disease.  

HGPS is an extremely rare disease affecting only some 400 people worldwide, the disease is caused by a chance genetic mutation that causes the buildup of a protein called progerin in the cells of the afflicted person, giving the disease its name. The disorder causes stunted growth, alopecia, and aged skin appearance. Children who have the disease develop atherosclerosis, and most die of stroke. The average life expectancy for sufferers is 14 1/2 years. The medication blocks the buildup of progerin, impeding the premature aging effect. 

A clinical trial followed participants for 11 years, and the medication was found to extend life by 2 1/2 years. The oldest participant is 24, having taken the medication for 13 years.

The new medication, Zokinvy, also known as lonafarnib, is expected to be expensive due to the small number of patients but the manufacturer, Eiger, said that it will offer finance plans to make it affordable for all patients. Eiger also helped finance the research for the treatment, along with the Progeria Research Foundation.

“This is just the first. We’ll find more and better treatments,” said Dr Leslie Gordon, the foundation’s medical director.

Source: Medical Xpress

Categories : Allergies Uncategorized UrogenitalTags :

New Research Links Bladder Pain Flare-ups to Pollen

On By ModernMedia

High pollen counts have long been associated with allergic rhinitis with its well known symptoms such as itching eyes, running nose and sneezing, but now new research suggests that it may be aggravating a completely unexpected condition: chronic bladder pain.

In the United States, more than 10 million people are believed to suffer from urologic chronic pelvic pain syndrome (UCPPS) – a mysterious cluster of problems which include bladder pain syndrome and interstitial cystitis in women, chronic pelvic pain syndrome, and in men, chronic prostatitis.

Researchers regard it as “one of the most frustrating urologic conditions to understand and manage”, requiring a multidisciplinary and multimodal approach to management. However, it has been known to be associated with flare-ups of allergies, prompting Washington University epidemiologist Siobhan Sutcliffe to lead a team to investigate a possible connection. Their study recruited 290 participants diagnosed with UCPPS, and tracked pollen levels from three days before and on the day against UCPPS symptoms. Daily pollen counts did not correlate with UCPPS symptoms, but in participants with when pollen count was medium or high, there was a significant association with symptoms. The mast cell activation involved in pollen allergies release histamines which may be a contributing factor in UCPPS. Evidence for this comes from animal studies which have shown that exposure to histamine makes the bladder hypersensitive. Histamines also stays resident in the bladder longer than in the bloodstream as they are excreted via urine.

Sutcliffe said: “Our study provides evidence to suggest increased pollen counts may trigger symptom flares in people living with UCPPS.”This research may bring an avenue for some now forms of relief to UCPPS sufferers, but further research is needed to eliminate confounding factors, such as environmental factors associated with high pollen counts – strong levels of wind and thunderstorms may trigger pollen allergies but also exert some other kind of separate influence.

“Patients may benefit from taking antihistamines on days with high pollen levels, or from allergy testing and immunotherapy,” concluded Sutcliffe.

Source: Science Alert

Journal information: Javed I, Yu T, Li J et al. Does Pollen Trigger Urologic Chronic Pelvic Pain Syndrome Flares? A Case-Crossover Analysis in the Multidisciplinary Approach to the Study of Chronic Pelvic Pain Research Network. Journal of Urology. 2020. doi:10.1097/ju.0000000000001482

Categories : COVID UncategorizedTags :

Pfizer/BioNTech Vaccine Effective against SA and UK COVID Variants

On By ModernMedia

Amidst concerns that the SARS-CoV-2 virus might escape the protection of vaccines, initial results from new research shows that the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine remains effective against the South African and UK COVID variants.

The new variants, which are much more transmissible, had created concern that due to mutations in their structure, they might not achieve the full protection of the current vaccines, especially in the SA variant.

However, this is a preliminary study that has not yet been through a peer review process, and the worrying E484K mutation in the South African strain which has been shown to reduce antibody recognition has not been tested on – that is still to be done.

Using blood samples from 20 individuals who had received the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine, antibodies in the samples successfully defended against the virus variants. The results were made available on the bioRxiv site. Pfizer chief scientific officer Dr Philip Dormitzer said that “it was a very reassuring finding that at least this mutation, which was one of the ones people are most concerned about, does not seem to be a problem” for the vaccine.

However, should future mutations of SARS-CoV-2 achieve viral escape from the vaccines, the necessary adjustments to counter this could be made to the vaccines within a matter of weeks. Dormitzer said that this work was only the start “ongoing monitoring of virus changes to see if any of them might impact on vaccine coverage.”

Source: Medical Xpress

Categories : COVID UncategorizedTags :

Medical Aid Schemes to Share Cost of Nationwide Vaccination

On By ModernMedia

As arrangements are being made to pay for the COVID vaccination programme for South Africa, medical aid schemes are expected to contribute to the cost towards ensuring at least 67% of the population receives a vaccine, which is the minimum number to establish herd immunity.

Across South Africa, there are some 9 million medical aid beneficiaries, making up some 16% of the population and who collectively spent R186 billion last year on healthcare. The total cost of providing sufficient vaccines for the South African population is thought to range from R5 billion to R20 billion, depending on whether the vaccine is simply bought for the commercial price or whether the distribution and administration costs are factored in as well.

Discussions into paying for the mass vaccinations have suggested that mass-employers, such as mines, ought to contribute  This week, the Council for Medical Schemes (CMS) confirmed that vaccination would be a minimum prescribed benefit, so this will not be paid for out of medical savings.”The CMS acknowledges that there may be an additional cost burden to medical schemes for the provision of the vaccine, but this is not expected to be prohibitively high,” the body said. “In addition, industry associations have assured the CMS that vaccine costs can be absorbed by most medical schemes.”

South Africa’s vaccine source is not yet clear, although President Cyril Ramaphosa has hinted that Canada may share its excess vaccine stock. Canada currently has enough vaccine pre-purchase agreements to vaccinate its population five times over.

Source: Business Insider

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Amazon to Enter the Health Industry

On By ModernMedia

With the launch of Amazon Pharmacy in the US last November, online pharmacy companies are worried about the industry giant Amazon’s entry into the healthcare industry.

The head of Quick Meds, an online pharmacy firm that had only recently been established, believes it will have a huge impact on the industry.

“I’m worried,” he said. “They’ll have a massive marketing budget, and they’ll definitely take a sizeable chunk out of every other pharmacy on the market. There will be closures as a direct result of it.”

Pharmacies have complex, inefficient supply chains which the online retail giant could outcompete with its massive, streamlined operations. Amazon is already purchasing its first fleet of aircraft to compete directly with large courier companies like FedEx, taking advantage of plummeting aircraft prices in the wake of the pandemic.

Scott Galloway, professor of marketing at NYU Stern, entrepreneur and author of Post Corona: From Crisis to Opportunity, believes that consumers will benefit in the short and medium term.”For the most part of Amazon’s history, as a consumer you’re getting products for near cost or sometimes even below cost and that has just been an incredible boon for consumers and shareholders,” he said.

The company would use information from its other business areas to create a database of each customer’s health, enabling it to target goods and services.

“With their new wearable Amazon Halo, the company can build a 3D image of their consumers and they can then combine this with the foods you eat through Whole Foods, data from Amazon Prime and Alexa, and information such as your post code, relationship status, demographic data,” said Mr Galloway. Compared to the largely reactive medical industry, where consumers seek out medical services, this is a sea change.

“They can use this to offer proactive healthcare services,” he said.

Source: BBC News

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Genetic Basis for Why Lithium is Effective for Only Some

On By ModernMedia

Lithium was the first effective mood stabiliser for bipolar disorder (BD) and still the first-line treatment, but it is effective only in about 30% of patients, while the remainder are unresponsive. A new study implicates the decreased activation of a certain gene.

The study shows that decreased activation of a gene called LEF1 disrupts ordinary neuronal function and promotes hyperexcitability in brain cells—a hallmark of BD. The findings could lead to development of a new drug target for BD as well as a biomarker for lithium nonresponsiveness.

“Only one-third of patients respond to lithium with disappearance of the symptoms,” says Renata Santos, co-first author on the study. “We were interested in the molecular mechanisms behind lithium resistance, what was blocking lithium treatment in nonresponders. We found that LEF1 was deficient in neurons derived from nonresponders. We were excited to see that it was possible to increase LEF1 and its dependent genes, making it a new target for therapeutic intervention in BD.”

The study built on a previous one which discovered differences in the neurons of those with lithium unresponsiveness.

Using stem cell technology, the team grew neurons sampled from patients’ blood, who had BD and were responsive or unresponsive to lithium, and from normal patients. They compared the genetic characteristics and behaviour of those neurons.Lithium enables beta-catenin to pair with LEF1 to promote neural regulation in the normal controls and lithium responders.

Administration of valproic acid, a typical treatment for non-responders, increased LEF1 levels as well as activation of related genes. Silencing the LEF1 gene also deactivated related genes.”When we silenced the LEF1 gene, the neurons became hyperexcitable,” says Shani Stern, co-first author on the study. “And when we used valproic acid, expression of LEF1 increased, and we lowered the hyperexcitability. That shows there is a causative relationship, and that’s why we think LEF1 may be a possible target for drug therapy.”

The team wants to look at other types of cells, such as astrocytes, to better understand the role of LEF1 in the bipolar neural network.”LEF1 works in various ways in different parts of the body, so you can’t just turn it on everywhere,” said  co-corresponding author Carol Marchettor. “You want to be more specific, either activating LEF1 on a targeted basis or activating downstream genes that are relevant for lithium nonresponsiveness.”

Source: Medical Xpress