Stem Cell Clinic

Doctors Say Inflammation Might be the Root of COVID-19 Along with Other Diseases Such as Cancer and Dementia – Tech Times

Studies show that COVID-19, cancer, Alzheimer's, heart disease, and diabetes have one common factor and root: inflammation. This is now a key factor in many other diseases that have been emerging recently, and it's a process that everybody needs to understand and study more if we want to try and reduce risks.

This root has been identified as a major problem in COVID-19 cases, which explains why older people and those who have lifestyle diseases are most at high risk.

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Read Also: COVID-19 UPDATE: Stem Cell Clinics Offer Unproven "Immunity Booster" for COVID-19 Without Any Proof It Works, You Have Been Warned

For scientists and medical experts, inflammation is a huge clue to what lies beneath the huge number of coronavirus deaths in the United Kingdom now total 32,065 compared to Spain's 26,744, and Italy's 30,560. These numbers reflect the seriousness of the underlying chronic disease.

However, doctors are hopeful that knowledge gained from studying COVID-19 will help us further understand inflammatory processes and suggest different ways to approach this pandemic that has plagued millions of people all over the world.

When we talk about inflammation, this is a sign of the human body's natural response to an infection. When the immune system is mobilized, activity by the defensive cells causes by-products like skin redness and heat or even a fever to occur when the entire system is involved.

Read Also: COVID-19 U.K. Update: People Who Have Low Paying Jobs Are More Likely To Get Infected And Have Died More From COVID-19, Analysis States

However, it should also be noted that obesity and chronic disease can cause inflammation as well.

According to Daily Mail, "Overweight people - almost two out of three Britons fall into this group - have been shown to have higher levels of inflammatory messenger molecules called cytokines, which interfere with and damage normal cell functions. A major research review, published in 2016 by the American Society for Nutrition, concluded that obesity and the health problems associated with it - such as high blood pressure, raised blood sugar levels and tummy fat - have a 'substantial impact' on the health of the immune system and defense against disease."

Research that was published last week by an Oxford University team that identified and analyzed health records from more than 17.4 million people, has calculated that the most severely obese and overweight people are three times more likely to suffer and die of coronavirus.

The body's immune system has a total of two lines of defense, innate immunity, which includes cell types that are on the lookout for foreign fungus, bacteria, and viruses. The second line is something that is more unique to each person that has developed over time to identify and destroy any kind of invader that has tried to invade our body in the past.

"The problem is that innate immunity starts to deteriorate from the age of about 50 and goes into a steep decline from 70. Adaptive immunity also starts to fail, with specialist antibody cells 'forgetting' to recognize the invaders they are meant to protect against. This malfunction occurs even in otherwise healthy older people, and the immune system tries to compensate for the deficit by over-producing cytokines, which buzz about looking for trouble - but in doing so cause inflammation," The Daily Mail added.

A spokesperson for the World Cancer Research Fund, Kate Allen, said that having a healthy weight is very critical in trying to reduce risks from cancer.

Fifteen of the most common cancers, which include colon, prostate, and breast are more common in people who are overweight caused by the inflammation.

Read Also: After Making a "Low Risk" Contact with COVID-19 Tests Positive White House Staffer, Dr. Anthony Fauci Will Begin Modified Quarantine

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Doctors Say Inflammation Might be the Root of COVID-19 Along with Other Diseases Such as Cancer and Dementia - Tech Times

Umbilical cord stem cells have the potential to treat COVID-19 – Open Access Government

The year of 2020 has been unlike any other year. Since January, the global COVID-19 pandemic has impacted every aspect of our lives affecting our health, our economy and our livelihoods. With the world in lockdown, the race is on to find a solution to the fast spreading deadly virus.

Scientists and researchers are uniting in a global effort to develop cutting edge technologies and novel treatments for the virus. As a result, numerous early studies have emerged, proposing stem cells as an effective method in treating the disease, with several clinical trials now underway. In particular, these studies have focused on the therapeutic potential of stem cells from the umbilical cord in the treatment of COVID-19 patients.

Recently, mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) harvested from umbilical cord blood have attracted significant attention in clinical trials for COVID-19 due to their immunomodulatory and regenerative properties.

When an individual contracts COVID-19, an immune overreaction is triggered in the body, producing large amounts of inflammatory factors whilst simultaneously destroying numerous essential cells. This results in in an overproduction of immune cells and cytokines, which researchers refer to as an inflammatory storm.

Here, the idea to use MSCs in the treatment of COVID-19 patients was coined, to prevent the storm release of cytokines by the immune system and promote repair by reparative properties of the stem cells.

These MSCs oppose viral infections due to the presence of specific cytokines improved qualities. Subsequently, they can prevent lung tissue damage by counteracting the cytokine storm through their immunomodulatory function and differentiation ability to regenerate and reconstruct damaged tissue. As a result, it has been demonstrated that MSCs significantly reduce the risk of COVID-19 pneumonia and respiratory failure.

The application of these stem cells seems to be particularly effective in cases of critically ill patients, as reported in the Aging and Disease journal. In this study, seven COVID-19 patients were administered with MSCs from the umbilical cord. After two days of receiving the MSC treatment, the pulmonary function and symptoms of the seven patients were significantly improved without any adverse effects.

Another study of a critically ill COVID-19 patient has shown remarkable reversal of symptoms using MSCs. The 65-year-old woman, whose condition had progressed despite intensive therapy, was on a ventilator and was showing evidence of liver damage. The patient was treated with three intravenous infusions of MSCs, three days apart. Within four days of the first dose of the MSC treatment, she was able to come off the ventilator and walk again.

The FDA have also recently authorised compassionate use of stem cells, including MSCs and cells taken from the placenta, for intravenous infusions in patients with a severe prognosis. This has come following the success of a placenta-based cell-therapy to treat COVID-19 patients, which has resulted in the coronavirus-recovered patients being discharged from hospital.

To date, there are 17 completed clinical trials which have investigated the application of MSCs in treating COVID-19 as well as more than 70 other trials in this regard currently ongoing. Whilst the clinical use of MSCs in treating COVID-19 is still in its early phases, the initial results are certainly promising.

The use of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) has gained global traction in recent years due to their vast regenerative potential and their role in immune disorders. In particular, the umbilical cord has been identified as the richest and purest source of these stem cells. These cells can be easily harvested, isolated, cultured and used in cell-based therapy, from basic research to clinical trials.

Stem cells from the umbilical cord are widely recognised by doctors as an invaluable resource for regenerative therapies as they can transform into a wide array of tissue types. They play a significant role in repair and renewal of damaged tissue, and clinical studies have even demonstrated its ability to regenerate entire organsUmbilical cord blood stem cells were first introduced in the 1980s, when it was used to successfully treat a young boy with Fanconi anaemia. Today, cord blood stem cells can treat more than 80 conditions, including many blood cancers and immune disorders such as leukaemia, lymphoma and severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID).

These stem cells are also now central to hundreds of promising clinical trials for common and often life-threatening conditions such as arthritis, heart disease and multiple sclerosis.

To find out more about umbilical cord stem cells and their role in regenerative medicine, visit cells4life.com

References

Campbell & MacDonald, (2020) Exploring the Utility of Stem Cell Therapy for COVID-19, BioPharma, available at:

https://www.technologynetworks.com/biopharma/articles/exploring-the-utility-of-stem-cell-therapy-for-covid-19-334068

Bing Liang et al., (2020) Clinical remission of a critically ill COVID-19 patient treated by human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells, ChinaXiv, available at:http://chinaxiv.org/abs/202002.00084

Golchin et al., (2020) Mesenchymal Stem Cell Therapy for COVID-19: Present or Future, Stem Cell Reviews and Reports, available at:https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7152513/

Zikuan Leng et al., (2020) Transplantation of ACE2- Mesenchymal Stem Cells Improves the Outcome of Patients with COVID-19 Pneumonia, Aging and Disease, available at:http://www.aginganddisease.org/EN/10.14336/AD.2020.0228

Michael Hill (2020) Hospital uses placenta cells to try to improve two COVID-19 patients NJTV News, available at:

Hospital uses placenta cells to try to improve two COVID-19 patients

Pluristem (2020) Pluristem Reports Preliminary Data from its COVID-19 Compassionate Use Program, Treating Seven Patients with Acute Respiratory Failure, Pluristem, available at:

https://www.pluristem.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/PSTI-PR-Follow-up-on-Covid-19-treatments-FINAL-FOR-RELEASE.pdf

Ballen et al., (2013) Umbilical cord blood transplantation: the first 25 years and beyond, Blood, available at:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3952633/

Parents Guide to Cord Blood Foundation, (2020) Diseases Treated, available at: https://parentsguidecordblood.org/en/diseases

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Umbilical cord stem cells have the potential to treat COVID-19 - Open Access Government

Growing Number of Patients Suffering From Neurological Disorder to Support the Growth of Global Autologous Cell Therapy Market, TMR – PRNewswire

ALBANY, New York, May 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- As a result of growing pandemic of COVID-19, the pharmaceutical industry is investing a major amount in research and development of an effective vaccine that can help the doctors to save lives and help controlling the pandemic. As per a recent analysis by Transparency Market Research over pharmaceutical sector, it was found that the global autologous cell therapy market is witnessing a major push. The market is projected to grow exponentially during the tenure of 2019 to 2027 and is expected to witness a substantial 18.1% CAGR during this tenure. Moreover, the global autologous cell therapy market is expected to register a value of US$ 34.7 Bn by the end of 2027, says a recent report by Transparency Market Research.

"COVID-19 has impacted the economy at global level. With the death tolls still on the rise in developed and developing countries, the pandemic nowhere seems to get stop. However, the pharmaceutical sector is constantly investing in research and development. Nevertheless, the industry is majorly investing in autologous cell therapyto find an effective cure for CORONA Virus. Owing to these research and development, the global autologous cell therapy market is projected to grow exponentially during the tenure of 2019 to 2027" Transparency Market Research.

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Major Finding in Global Autologous Cell Therapy Market Study

Explore the latest study on global autologous cell therapy market under the title: Autologous Cell Therapy Market (Source - Bone Marrow and Epidermis; Application - Neurology, Orthopedics, Cancer, Wound Healing, CVD, and Autoimmune; End User - Hospitals, Ambulatory Centers, and Research Centers) - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends, and Forecast 2019 2027 at https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/report-toc/715

Major Drivers Propelling the Growth of Global Autologous Cell Therapy Market

Growing cases of Neurological Disorders to Propel the Growth

The world is witnessing a massive growth in the number of patients suffering from neurological diseases. The report by Transparency Market Research states that there are more than 50 Mn people suffering from autoimmune disorder which can cause a painful death. In order to develop an effective drug that can help the neurological patients, the pharmaceutical industry is investing massive in autologous cell therapywhich as a result is propelling the growth of global autologous cell therapy market during the tenure of 2019 to 2027.

Strong Government Support to Boost the Growth of the Autologous Cell Therapy Market

Governments across the globe are encouraging pharmaceutical industry to develop an effective cure for Parkinson's, nervous breakdowns, and most importantly COVID-19. This has significantly helped the players to develop new drugs. Owing to this support, the global autologous cell therapy market shall witness a substantial growth during the tenure of 2019 to 2027, states the report by Transparency Market Research.

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Major Challenges Mentioned in the Global Autologous Cell Therapy Market

The major challenge that might impede the growth of global autologous cell therapy market is the cost of the therapy. Since the cost of therapy is quite high, the some of the patient might not be able to afford it which might deplete the growth of global autologous cell therapy market during the tenure of 2019 to 2029. However, with ongoing research and development in the pharmaceutical industry, there are high chances that the world might see a cost effective therapy in the global autologous cell therapy market in future.

Global Autologous Cell Therapy: Regional Analysis

North America shall account for the largest share in the global autologous cell therapy market in future. It is noticeable that the regional front of the global autologous cell therapy market was dominated by this particular region in 2018. This dominance is the result of improving healthcare infrastructure, technological development and supportive government efforts. Owing to these factors the global autologous cell therapy market is expected to be dominated by North America during the tenure of 2019 to 2027.

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Competitive Analysis

The global autologous cell therapy market is highly progressive yet highly consolidated. The nature of the market is the result of presence of AA handful of prominent players. However, due to this the new players are unable to enter the global autologous cell therapy market. To overcome this situation, the new players are merging and collaborating with the established players of global disposable face mask market.

The global autologous cell therapy market is segmented in the basis of:

Global Autologous Cell Therapy Market, by Source

Global Autologous Cell Therapy Market, by Application

Global Autologous Cell Therapy Market, by End-user

Global Autologous Cell Therapy Market, Region

Explore Transparency Market Research's award-winning coverage of the global Healthcare industry:

Autoimmune Disease Diagnostics Market- the global autoimmune diseases diagnostics market is expected to exhibit a CAGR of 3.8%. The global autoimmune disease diagnostics market is likely to reach US$17.06 bn by 2023. The stiff price competition among players is expected to impact the growth of the market in a negative way.

Stem Cells Market- The global market for stem cells is projected to reach a value of US$270.5 bn by the end of 2025. The market is likely to exhibit a strong 13.80% CAGR between 2017 and 2025

Cell Therapy Market-The study reports an insight about the global cell therapy market, along with its current and the past market situation. This enables the customers to comprehend the situation before entering or investing in the market. The report gives driving components fueling the development of the market, restrictions which are probably going to limit the market development, and so forth.

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About Us

Transparency Market Research is a next-generation market intelligence provider, offering fact-based solutions to business leaders, consultants, and strategy professionals.

Our reports are single-point solutions for businesses to grow, evolve, and mature. Our real-time data collection methods along with ability to track more than one million high growth niche products are aligned with your aims. The detailed and proprietary statistical models used by our analysts offer insights for making right decision in the shortest span of time. For organizations that require specific but comprehensive information we offer customized solutions through adhoc reports. These requests are delivered with the perfect combination of right sense of fact-oriented problem solving methodologies and leveraging existing data repositories.

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Growing Number of Patients Suffering From Neurological Disorder to Support the Growth of Global Autologous Cell Therapy Market, TMR - PRNewswire

Q&A: ‘Survivor’ champ Ethan Zohn’s deep Colorado connection, who he was shocked to see on the beach and his epic episode – Colorado Springs Gazette

The hit CBS reality series Survivor wraps up its 40th, and quite possibly best, season when Winners at War crowns a champion Wednesday. In preparation for the finale, I spoke with fan favorite and three-time contestant Ethan Zohn.

The winner of Survivor: Africa and, more importantly, a man who has defeated cancer twice, discussed this latest season, why he frequently comes to Colorado and who he was shocked to see on the beach when season 40 started.

Have you been to Colorado before?

Ive been to Colorado so many times! I guess my strongest connection is through a bunch of different cancer organizations that I've been involved with that are either based in Colorado or host events in Colorado. First Descents is one of them, the other one is called Epic Experience. They're basically outdoor adventure camps for young adult, cancer survivors. I work with them as an ambassador.

The last one, which is a pretty neat thing called CancerCon, is basically the largest collection of young adult cancer survivors in the world. They come to Denver each year for a big conference of class speakers and parties. ... I also visited Colorado for the research on hemp and CBD and THC and cannabis.

I've been to the Air Force Academy a couple of times. I gave a speech at the University of Colorado-Colorado Springs within the last two years. Beautiful area. Oh my god, I loved it.

Ive read that while you were out on Survivor this last go round that the CBD oil was something that you missed.

I definitely was missing that. I'm living a nice cushy life here in New Hampshire and I got my wife and my cats and my piles of CBD and then all of a sudden it's now taken away from you and now you're in the middle of this game of Survivor with all the added stress on that and they wouldn't even let me take my CBD. They actually took my consideration to the top and asked if I could use it because they let you bring prescription medicine there if you need it, but they wouldn't let me take CBD or THC because it's illegal in Fiji.

It was 15 years between Survivor: All Stars and Winners at War. What was the motivation behind wanting to come back?

Well, I mean, one, it is a season everyone has been waiting for, for both players and both fans, I think. They're taking the 20 most popular winners of all time, bringing them back and letting us battle for not $1 million, but $2 million. We didn't know it was $2 million when we signed up for it. They told us that on the beach. But one, it's an honor to be asked back. Two, I've always wanted to play again, but because of some of the health challenges that I've been through, I haven't been able to.

I think it was 2010, I was literally locked away getting my second stem cell transplant in a hospital in New York City, watching I think season 20, which is Heroes Versus Villains, and thinking, "Man, if I stay alive long enough or if I get out of this thing and I'm OK, I want to be able to play Survivor again." It was just a dream of mine and it took me 10 years to get ready mentally, physically, spiritually to go play this game of Survivor. When they called, I was like, "Yeah, you bet t I want to play." For me just to be healthy enough to do anything like that is a blessing, so I jumped at the chance.

Were there any winners that you expected to see but that weren't there?

I expected to see Richard Hatch, I expected to see Tina, but other than that I would've liked to have seen a few more old school winners, I think it was a little bit skewed. There was like 13 new schoolers and seven old schoolers and so it just threw the dynamic off a little bit and I don't think anyone really suspected that it was going to be such a landslide in terms of a new schoolers just picking off the old schoolers one by one. But I would like to have seen a more even split.

When did you know who everybody was on the cast? When did that happen?

When you get to Fiji to film, there's a couple of days where you've got to do stuff like medical checks and wardrobe and just sign papers and do interviews and stuff like that. So they split up men and women. At that time I knew the guys going into it. But you're not allowed to talk. They keep everyone separate, pretty strict in that sense, but you could see who they were. I originally thought it would be guy versus girls. I said, "Oh all right, cool." Then we started the game and I see Amber there and I was like, "Holy crap. Rob and Amber are both here?" That's what I realized after that, that's why I thought they probably separated us that way early on. But I was completely shocked to see Amber there. I think everyone was shocked to see Amber there.

We have to talk about probably what's going to be your defining moment from the season. This is where you had to go get 20 logs one at a time and bring them back to camp. It was such an iconic Survivor moment seeing someone struggling, yet never giving up. Tell me what was going through your mind during that particular challenge?

I thought at first, I'd be fine. I thought that 20 times up the hill, I went up once before and I thought it wouldn't be a problem. I definitely went out a little bit too fast. I tried to keep up with Natalie, who is an absolute Olympic champion at everything out there right now. So, yeah, I just think basically, it was probably one of the most difficult things I've ever had to put my body through. You're completely depleted, you're hungry, you're tired, you're thirsty. We didn't eat that day. The challenge got the best of me, I was walking, I think it was around log 15 or 16 and I completely lost my depth perception.

I tried to step up over a rock and I would always be like, 3, 5 inches short and I kept tripping and stumbling and I got around the corner and I slipped and kind of fell. When I fell then the doctors stepped in and they're like, "Maybe you should take a little bit of a rest." Then I passed out. Luckily the doctors are there when that happened. But what was interesting about this, and where I'm going with it is, I thought: Here you are in the middle of this game of Survivor, this cutthroat game, where I was competing forn $2 million dollars and I'm competing with three other women to get a fire token. And I thought, when I was down, they'd be beat up or kick you while I was down or spit on me as they walk by or whatnot.

But what ended up happening is they basically helped me up that last leg of the race. No one wants to go up that mountain once a day, nevertheless, 20 times a day, and here they're going off one more extra time, 21 times for me just to give me the energy and the power to get up there. So it was really nice to see how compassion and empathy and just human to human relationships transcended the game for that moment. I think it was just a really beautiful moment and I don't think I would have been able to make it up that hill if they weren't there with me.

What would you say is the hardest thing to adjust to going from being a viewer to an actual participant?

The days are really long. You guys see all the options and all the fun stuff, but there's 23 hours left in the day of stuff that you guys don't see. There's a lot of boredom and there's a lot of just chatting, you don't understand how little sleep we get, how little food we get. I don't think that's really clearly described. Sleeping conditions are absolutely horrible. It's freezing at night, it's warmer during the day. So just kind of like that stuff I think has been over the years has minimized. You don't necessarily see survival even being something you need to be good at in order to do well on the show Survivor.

Back in the day, and I don't want to be that guy, but survival mattered and the entire show is based on survival and location. And the challenges were big and huge and epic and it held a lot of weight in terms of if you did well in a challenge or not. Now the challenges don't even really matter as much in terms of strategy. You obviously want to win, but if you do bad in a challenge, you're not going to get voted off because of it. But to answer your question, I guess it's just the uncomfortableness, lack of sleep, lack of food, dealing with everyone else's bull--- all the time, that's the stuff you don't see because it's just minimized.

I'm assuming you think this will be your last season?

Oh yeah. Dude, I feel they should lose my number, Ill say during the finale, "Don't ever call me again." Unless I do a random talker and show up for the night to be some sort of, I don't know, mentor type situation. I would do that, but there's no way I'd play again.

With that in mind, let me ask you a couple of questions in regards to your overall experience. What is your favorite "Survivor" memory?

My favorite memory is definitely visiting the village, in Survivor: Africa. I got to play hacky sack with my luxury item with all these children in the parking lot of a hospital and I later found out that all these kids were HIV positive. It was at that moment I decided that I wanted to do something with my money if I did win Survivor: Africa. I got back and I started this organization, Grassroots Soccer. Since Survivor: Africa" and Survivor: All Stars, we're now in 60 countries and we've graduated over 2.9 million kids from the program, all from a little reality show. I think it's pretty neat.

That's fantastic. What is your least favorite "Survivor" memory?

I would say every day on the Edge of Extinction. It's not a pleasant place to be. It's purgatory, you are between life and death, but I would say it's more leaning towards hell than any other direction.

Who would you put on your "Survivor" Mount Rushmore?

Oh man, that's tough. It's going to be all old school because Im completely biased. Myself, Boston Rob, who already has his own freaking statue, and Parvarti. The last one is between Hatch just because he's the original gangster. But I also feel like Tyson just because he's like a good friend of mine and he deserves to be etched in stone.

What can we expect in the finale Wednesday night?

As you know it's the epic second play-in challenge and everyone is incredibly jazzed up. Some people have idols, some people have some advantages and it's just going to be a really exciting and epic play-in challenge. The finale is going to be fireworks, these last three hours are going to be absolutely insane.

Gazette TV critic Terry Terrones is a member of the Television Critics Association and the Broadcast Television Journalists Association. You can follow him on Twitter at @terryterrones.

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Q&A: 'Survivor' champ Ethan Zohn's deep Colorado connection, who he was shocked to see on the beach and his epic episode - Colorado Springs Gazette

EDITORIAL: Excessive haste in approving COVID-19 drugs is a no-no : The Asahi Shimbun – Asahi Shimbun

A number of trials and studies are under way on several drugs that have emerged as candidates in the search for treatments for new coronavirus infections.

Remdesivir, one of those drugs, has been approved with exceptional speed by the health ministry after the United States permitted emergency use on patients in severe conditions.

The ministry took the unusual procedure under a special framework that allows domestic screening processes to be simplified.

There are, of course, concerns about possible side effects. There should be a follow-up study on all patients to whom the drug is administered, and its effectiveness should be carefully reviewed.

Many people have expressed hopes for the early development of COVID-19 therapeutic drugs. Concerned parties should do their best to meet those expectations.

That does not mean, however, that procedures for verifying drug efficacy and safety can be slighted.

Doctors on the front lines have set their sights on Avigan. The drug, which was developed by a Japanese manufacturer, has been approved as a treatment for new types of influenza expected in the future.

Clinical tests are continuing for having Avigan also approved as a COVID-19 treatment. At the same time, patients are taking the medicine in medical research (clinical studies) in which many health care institutions are participating.

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said during a news conference on May 4 that he hopes to have Avigan approved as a COVID-19 drug by the end of May.

It has been administered in nearly 3,000 cases, he said. I have been told the drug is turning out to be effective.

During a talk aired May 6 on internet TV, Kyoto University professor Shinya Yamanaka, a Nobel Prize-winning stem cell biologist, asked Abe to help speed the timeline by adding a word from the prime minister to the project.

However, excessive haste is a no-no.

Many COVID-19 patients have recovered without using Avigan. It will be difficult to determine how effective the medicine is simply based on reports of cases where conditions have improved under the use of Avigan.

Efficacy should not be evaluated under the influence of foregone anticipation. It should also be kept in mind that there were reports of serious side effects in experiments on animals.

We are reminded of Iressa, a cancer agent that Japan approved in 2002 ahead of the rest of the world.

It was initially touted as a new dream medicine with few side effects, but no sooner was it released for sale than there were cases of deaths that were likely caused by its side effects.

The serious damage arose because Iressa was put to widespread use under insufficient information, including on the types of patients for whom the medicine is effective.

Abe has reiterated that anyone will be entitled to take Avigan on request if approval is obtained from the ethics committee of the patient's hospital. Those remarks, however, could be a source of confusion.

Not every hospital will be able to prescribe Avigan. In addition, if patients who are deemed not eligible were to ask for the drug, pinning hopes on Abes remarks, that could increase the workload of health care workers who have to deal with such requests.

The government has said it will provide Avigan to more than 40 countries free of charge.

Its approval process should go through the proper steps without omission because the medicine must not only benefit patients in Japan but also contribute to international cooperation.

We should deal appropriately with the coronavirus crisis without forgetting the history of suffering induced by drugs.

--The Asahi Shimbun, May 10

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EDITORIAL: Excessive haste in approving COVID-19 drugs is a no-no : The Asahi Shimbun - Asahi Shimbun

Tens of thousands of cancer patients STILL havent received NHS coronavirus shielding letters – The Sun

TENS of thousands of cancer patients still havent received NHS coronavirus shielding letters, a top doctor is warning.

Countless individuals across the country should have been contacted to tell them they are clinically extremely vulnerable and need to take stringent measures to protect themselves from the coronavirus threat.

1

The NHS started writing to high-risk people seven weeks ago urging them to remain at home at all times.

However, Peter Johnson, national clinical director for cancer, has revealed that droves of cancer patients have not yet received their letters - and he is now urging charities to assist in tracing the missing patients.

His appeal comes after Government yesterday increased its estimate of the number of people at greatest risk of severe illness should they become infected with Covid-19 from 1.5million to 2.5million.

In the new a 50-page lockdown plan, it statedthat it had identified 2.5 million people who were clinically extremely vulnerable and advised to shield.

Professor Johnsons letter, seen by The Times, reads: "We are still receiving reports of cancer patients who believe that they should have received a shielding letter but have not yet received one or have not been added to the national list.

It is crucial that those who are clinically extremely vulnerable receive a letter advising them to shield

"It is crucial that those who are clinically extremely vulnerable receive a letter advising them to shield.

"As well as ensuring their safety through shielding, the letter provides evidence to employers and enables these patients to access government support to the shielding cohort."

Those deemed "high-risk" include those with suppressed immune systems, such as cancer and transplant patients.

These individuals are strongly advised to stay at home at all times and avoid any face-to-face contact -with couples being forced to sleep in separate bedrooms and parents advised to keep away from their children.

Those who are shielding are also not allowed to attend any gatherings at all, with very limited exceptions.

Who is clinically extremely vulnerable?

Expert doctors in England have identified specific medical conditions that, based on what we know about the virus so far, place someone at greatest risk of severe illness from Covid-19.

Clinically extremely vulnerable people may include the following people. Disease severity, history or treatment levels will also affect who is in the group.

1. Solid organ transplant recipients.

2. People with specific cancers:

3. People with severe respiratory conditions including all cystic fibrosis, severe asthma and severe chronic obstructive pulmonary (COPD).

4. People with rare diseases that significantly increase the risk of infections (such asSCID, homozygous sickle cell).

5. People on immunosuppression therapies sufficient to significantly increase risk of infection.

6. Women who are pregnant with significant heart disease, congenital or acquired.

People who fall in this group should have been contacted to tell them they are clinically extremely vulnerable.

If youre still concerned, you should discuss your concerns with your GP or hospital clinician.Source: GOV.UK

However, the messaging system has been plagued with problems - with 107,000 being wrongly told they were high risk, according to the Health Service Journal.

And GPs have only now started sending out letters saying they can carry out essential activities outdoors - more than a month after they were locked down.

On top of this, 10,000 dead people were also sent letters from NHS England.

Macmillan Cancer Support are now urging the Government to get on top of the missing letters.

Lynda Thomas, from the chairty, said: We must urgently see a plan from the government that sets out how every vulnerable person will be identified and supported to stay safe as they face further months of isolation in total lockdown.

The Government is currently advising people to shield until the end of June and is regularly monitoring this position.

Those in the shielding cohortare eligible for help, such as food parcels and prescription deliveries, from the NHS volunteer army.

An NHS spokesman said: Hospitals and family doctors have helped identify and contact more than 1.28 million people that have been asked to take particular care staying at home, but if anyone with cancer is concerned that they should also be added they can contact their GP or hospital clinician.

Matt Hancock is considering extending the 12-week shielding period for the most vulnerable Brits.

The Health Secretary told Sky News: We've asked those being shielded to avoid as much contact as possible for 12 weeks."

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"We may have to extend that 12 weeks but we hope not to.

Mr Hancock said he hoped to release some measures before a vaccine is found if cases continue to fall.

He added: "If we succeed in doing that we will be able to take clinical advice on whether it is safe for those who are shielded to, for instance, hug their grandchildren. That is right at the front of my mind."

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Tens of thousands of cancer patients STILL havent received NHS coronavirus shielding letters - The Sun