The healthcare industry has undergone seismic changes during the past year. The Covid pandemic began its relentless sweep across the globe in late 2019, and no corner of the world has been left untouched. The medical field has had to adapt quickly to the new demands placed upon it by the coronavirus.

However, Covid-related activity has not been the only major development in the medical arena. There are many new treatments and developments in medical equipment that should be examined.

Dr Ryan Shelton of Zenith Labs shares how the medical industry has changed over the past year, tracking current trends and how they have affected patients and the medical profession alike.

Rapid Rollout of Covid Vaccines

The medical field banded together to accelerate the rollout of Covid vaccines, from the pharmaceutical companies that developed the vaccines to the state and local health departments that supervised its administration to the general public.

While vaccine rates have lagged during the summer and fall of 2021 due to widespread misinformation, thousands of lives may have been saved due to its administration.

Telemedicine

Another development in the medical field that was hastened by the Covid pandemic was the practice of telemedicine. During lockdown periods in 2020, many medical offices were closed to patients. Dr Ryan Shelton reports that telemedicine helped doctors connect with their patients and helped them to continue important supportive and preventive care processes.

Fields like behavioral healthcare may have been changed in the most lasting way by telemedicine. Many patients in this specialty prefer to see providers in the comfort and privacy of their own homes.

Gene Therapy Advances

Gene therapy has become one of the fastest-growing subspecialties in medical care today. Treatments that would not have been possible only a few years ago are available to patients throughout the country.

One of the newest advances in this field is gene therapy for diseases that affect hemoglobin in the blood. Hemoglobin is the protein that is responsible for taking oxygen to the body’s organs through the blood. Common diseases of this type include sickle cell disease and thalassemia. Gene therapy helps these patients to produce healthy blood cells that can handle the workload of a fully functioning body.

Connected Devices

Wearables and implantable devices have improved significantly over the past year. Smartwatches like the Apple Watch can now track heart rhythm and perform a type of ECG. Implantable pacemakers are now accessible through smartphone apps, enabling doctors to quickly and easily check their effectiveness. Bluetooth-enabled devices bring remote monitoring home and make it easier for physicians to keep their patients current with their treatments.

Immunotherapy

Immunotherapy drugs enhance the response of the immune system. One of the most prominent immunotherapy drugs on the market this year has been Regeneron’s monoclonal antibody treatment for Covid. Other immunotherapy developments in progress now include monoclonal antibodies for primary-progressive multiple sclerosis.

Immunologic is now also used for migraine treatment. These drugs work by blocking calcitonin gene-related peptide, a molecule that is prevalent when patients have migraines.

Improved Equipment

Common medical equipment like CPAP machines has received recent upgrades. Bubble CPAP machines are now available for premature babies in the newborn intensive care unit. These machines are a less invasive method of breathing support when compared to ventilators.

New Cancer Drugs

Many new cancer drugs were approved in 2020, including a novel class of drug called the PARP inhibitor. PARP proteins are partly responsible for the survival of tumors in patients with the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genetic mutations. These mutations are commonly known as one of the leading causes of breast cancer, and they are also the culprit in many cases of prostate cancer.

Other Healthcare Trends for 2021

The following are selected medical trends that are ongoing in 2021:

Domestic Production

Covid caused a movement toward producing medical equipment domestically rather than abroad. The pandemic’s effect on

supply chains and the availability of certain products was profound. 90% of all face masks were produced in China, leading to investments in the American production of vital personal protective equipment or PPE.

Integration of Medical Records

Obtaining medical data in the United States is difficult. For example, national organizations rely on a patchwork of state and local governments to receive data about Covid infection rates. It is sometimes easier to get data from other countries than it is to find domestic data. Hospital systems and government agencies are beginning to find ways to get together and combine their data into a useful whole.

Rapid Developments

The pandemic has driven many aspects of development in the medical field, but innovation comes from all corners.

Dr Ryan Shelton wants readers to understand that there is constant growth in the medical field and that expert researchers are constantly finding new ways to confront disease and other difficulties.