The pandemic that swept the world in 2020 left a lasting impact on medical science. It has broken the weakest healthcare system across the globe. Even the developed ones had moments when they couldn’t keep up anymore. Hospitals were overwhelmed with patients, and health workers were overworked. It wasn’t a good year for the healthcare system worldwide.
But this has prompted healthcare professionals and researchers to innovate and find better ways to manage the crisis. They have also looked for ways to improve communication within the healthcare system to prepare for the next pandemic. That’s something good that came out of the recent health crisis that we’ve gone through.
Here are some medical innovations that happened amid the most recent health crisis;
A Breakthrough In Vaccine Development
The vaccine development for COVID-19 was so quick that some consider it a modern miracle. Biotechnology companies developed the vaccine for COVID-19 in just a few months. This is a breakthrough, as it has taken years to develop vaccines for other viruses such as Zika and Ebola. The fact that scientists could develop a vaccine so quickly is a testament to how much they have learned about the virus in such a short time.
A biotechnology company that made one of the mRNA COVID-19 vaccines was inspired to dive into HIV vaccine development. The vaccines are currently in clinical trials, which could be another medical breakthrough in biotechnology.
The Emergence of Teleconsultations
Teleconsultation uses telecommunication technologies to provide clinical consultation services from a distance. Psychiatry and veterinary medicine have been using the same technology for a long time.
But the pandemic has shown that there is an excellent need for teleconsultations. Doctors did remote consultations in aid of visuals to understand their patients more. These can even be recorded and archived for the patient’s medical history in video forms.
Teleconsultations have also helped immunocompromised people to get the consultations they needed. It’s vital for them not to go out because of the ongoing health crisis. Teleconsultations have protected them from possible exposure to COVID-19.
The Use of AI in Healthcare
Artificial intelligence (AI) in the health sector is not new. But it has been used more extensively in the past few years because of the pandemic. AI has been used to diagnose diseases, provide treatment recommendations, and improve patient care.
There are many advantages to the use of AI in healthcare. It can help to speed up the process of diagnosis, it can improve patient care, and it can provide treatment recommendations. AI can also help to identify outbreaks of diseases early on. This is vital, as it can help to prevent a pandemic from spreading.
Developers Created Apps Specifically For The Pandemic
There were a lot of apps developed to help people with the pandemic. One example is an app that helps people find the nearest hospital or clinic. Some apps helped people track their symptoms and even an app that helped people find other people in the same situation. This was helpful for people who felt isolated and alone during the pandemic.
Contact tracing apps were made to alert people if there were potentially exposed to someone with the COVID-19 disease. Google and Apple collaborated on this project.
An app was also developed to allow nurses and doctors to input information about a patient’s condition and treatment, which other healthcare professionals can then access. This helps ensure that everyone is aware of the patient’s condition and treatment plan, preventing any misunderstandings.
Virtual Reality In Healthcare
One of the ways that medical professionals are trying to improve patient care is by using virtual reality. This technology has been encouraged to prevent healthcare workers from being exposed to the virus.
VR can be used to help patients prepare for surgery or to help them cope with post-operative pain. It can also help patients who are struggling with anxiety or depression.
Some hospitals are also using VR to provide educational content to their patients. This can be anything from teaching patients about their condition to helping them learn how to use a medical device. VR can also help patients practice tasks that they will need to do after leaving the hospital. This can include learning how to eat and drink again or using a walker correctly.
These are just some medical advances that have been pushed in the past few years. It’s clear that the pandemic has had a significant impact on the medical community, and they are determined to learn from their mistakes and be better prepared for the next health crisis.
