Healthcare workforce shortages, magic creams & menstrual brain power 🧠
Coming in hot, one more healthcare newsletter you never asked for. But I promise, we’re cooler.
Think about it 💡
👩⚕️ Where did all the healthcare professionals go? The shortage of health workers is global. In Europe, the crisis is no longer limited to targeted services but has largely spread to primary and emergency care. In France, Denmark, Germany, Italy, Spain and so on, Covid-19 served as a propeller for issues known for years: the population is aging and needs more care in a world where chronic diseases are as common and delightful as pics of Linda-from-accounting’s snotty toddler on your Facebook feed. Sounds fun enough, right? Add to that a shortage of 15 million healthcare professionals by 2030 and now, you have yourself a party.
😶🌫️ The next wave of the pandemic is the youth mental health crisis. Talking about parties, this definitely ain’t one. Even pre-pandemic, youth levels of anxiety and depression were increasing. Covid-19 further compounded these issues by disturbing learning, social interactions, and routines, and by enhancing isolation. More than 40% of American teens report facing feelings of sadness or despair, and over 50% of parents express worry about the mental health of their children. Tick tock on the clock.
Stop using burn treatment to make your skin glowy. Like for real ⛔
🤦♀️ You don’t treat radiotherapy burns with a daily moisturizer. Seems fairly logical, right? Not to everyone it doesn’t. Over 17 million views on TikTok for #Biafine, a French pharmacy cream presented as miraculous for your daily moisturizing by the highly knowledgeable beauty influencers of the platform.
🧪 If it was so, how come was it never marketed as such to generate tons of 💰💰 ? Because it is NOT A DAILY MOISTURIZER.
💊 Biafine is a drug meant to treat first-degree or radiotherapy-induced burns (you know, for like, cancer) and whose main active ingredient, trolamine, is a potential allergen. It also contains parabens suspected of being endocrine disruptors. Cherry on top of the very stupid cake, Biafine is also made of essential oils making it photo-sensitizing. Meaning, it will make your skin sensitive to UV radiations.
🙇♀️ So no need to raid French pharmacies on your next Girlfriends’ Getaway. You’re welcome.
Neat News 🗞️
💸 Cera Care secured $320 million to improve home care. With a healthcare sector under unprecedented strain, the startup’s mission to empower patients to live better and longer in the comfort of their homes is neat timing.
🇧🇷 Virtual reality technology helped separate conjoined twins in Brazil. Super neat.
💰 Estonian startup Antegenes raised €2.3 million to drive progress in personalized cancer prevention. Ultra neat.
What the hellth? 🔬
🩸 What woman has never gently been asked if it was “that time of the month” when experiencing feelings of anxiety or irritation? The menstrual cycle has been fascinating mankind for as long as mankind has been. Even today, the idea that a woman's biology can scramble her brain is engraved in popular culture. Most of these assumptions have been negative, but some are not unfounded.
👩 However, rarely do studies focus on the positive of it. And science has found some positives. It turns out that as estrogen and progesterone levels increase each month, women gain a greater proficiency in using more brain power. Their brain even gets bigger. Better spatial awareness, communication, perception of fear…you may have your period to thank. Sorta.
Consumable Content 🧁
✍️ You’ve spent the last couple weeks trying to dodge one ominous article after another about the Amazon/One Medical whole thingy? Here's why it may not matter at all.
👼 Turns out that the digital health boom has opened the door for loads of companies touting the impact of their groundbreaking solutions. Given the ever-increasing digitalization of health, we may need to set standards to measure the clinical robustness of these claims.
This is what you came for 🍑
🥜 Apparently, men with smaller testicles make better dads. Researchers from Emory University in Georgia found that both testosterone levels and testicular size are associated with the amount of "direct paternal care" provided to a child. Nuts, isn’t it?
Gotta go, 🐃.