#EAPMGlobalConference – Getting in stride for cautious summer

Welcome, colleagues to the European Alliance for Personalised Medicine (EAPM) midweek update. As July reaches the middle of the month, and all thoughts turn to the well-deserved break that August will hopefully bring, EAPM has nevertheless been very busy thus far this week, which has already included (14 July) EAPM’s hugely successful online Global Conference, writes European Alliance for Personalised Medicine (EAPM) Executive Director Denis Horgan.

A full report will be available early next week on the many issues covered by the conference, but for now, suffice to say that more than 440 delegates attended, representing countries as far flung as China, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, Malaysia, Brazil, Peru, Cuba, Rwanda, South Africa and, of course, North America, and the EU. For today, then, a taster of some of the pressing subjects that the conference attendees got to grips with.

COVID-19 double whammy

Attendants agreed that the COVID-19 crisis now requires a close study of the required long-term response, as well as its economic impact, meaning that funding is now more of an issue than ever before. The conference agreed that there was a strong case for co-development, as well as a case for strong investment in public health. As to what this latter should be, there was discussion as to whether managing future uncertainty over a recurrence of a similar crisis or managing the risk for vulnerable populations was more important.

Labour, infrastructure, high-quality medicines

As far as health labour and infrastructure are concerned, the conference agreed that there were several key steps that must be brought into alignment, analyzing how the different links and related policies in the chain interact, as these can affect access to health care.  Thus, it was felt that adapting available systems and managing uncertainty was key, and that access to high quality medicines is a massive challenge. The conference heard that the World Health Organization (WHO) is examining how high-income countries can be supported, to find a way to bridge the gap on expensive therapies and how to encourage further, widespread innovation.

WHO quarters globe in terms of pandemic
Also this week, on Monday (13 July) WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus cited four situations in which countries around the world are situated in the pandemic, from the best to the worst, ranging from countries that have been alert and prepared, responded rapidly and managed to avoid large outbreaks, and he added that, most European countries fit in the second category he described “in which there was a major outbreak that was brought under control through a combination of strong leadership and populations adhering to key public health measures.”

The third section of countries worldwide are those, according to Ghebreyesus, that overcame the first peak of the outbreak but are now struggling with new peaks after easing restrictions, while the fourth – and worst – are those countries that are still suffering from an intense transmission of the outbreak. “We’re seeing this across the Americas, South Asia, and several countries in Africa,” he said, adding that the epicentre of the virus remains in the Americas, where more than 50% of the world’s cases have been recorded.

And he warned: “If governments do not clearly communicate with their citizens, and roll out a comprehensive strategy focused on suppressing transmission and saving lives, if populations do not follow the basic public health principles of physical distancing, hand washing, wearing masks, coughing etiquette and staying at home when sick, there is only one way this pandemic is going to go: It’s going to get worse, and worse and worse.” These were issues discussed in detail in the conference of a proactive and reactive approach.

In other news: Mental health concerns

New figures have revealed that one-fifth of vulnerable people in Britain have considered self-harming or killing themselves during lockdown. The Royal College of Psychiatrists reports that 43% of psychiatrists have seen an increase in emergency and urgent cases and predicts a “tsunami” of referrals on the horizon. The Centre for Mental Health forecasts an estimated 500,000 more people experiencing mental ill-health difficulty over the next year. But if there is a second wave of Covid-19 and the economy is damaged further, the effects on mental health will be greater still, and last much longer, the experts predict.

Cancer treatment suffers

In Germany, it has been estimated that around 50,000 cancer surgeries did not take place because of the pandemic — accounting for nearly a quarter of all cancer surgeries that would have taken place in that time, according to the German Cancer Aid quoted in DPA.

Keeping tabs

In some good news at least, it has been reported that more than a million people in the UK have quit smoking since the pandemic began, according to Action Against Smoking and University College London. The results coincide with a new campaign to encourage more smokers to quit.

Aiming to surf the ‘second wave’? 

The EU interoperability plan is an element of proposals that are meant to ensure the EU “is ready for possible resurgences of COVID-19 cases,” the Commission has stated in its strategy on “short-term EU health preparedness”. “Early detection of cases and a rapid response to prevent further spread … are currently our best shot to avoid having to reinstate large-scale restrictions such as lockdowns,” the document states, and Brussels is also proposing to “ensure equitable access to a COVID-19 vaccine” in distributing medicine and hopes to avoid the “combined effects of simultaneous outbreaks of COVID-19 colliding with a heavy influenza season”, which “could stretch even further the limits of our health-care systems”.

Looking forward to hols? Don’t get too comfortable in UK or EU

With lockdown rules relaxing and the summer weather getting into gear, everyone is planning an August trip, but there are already warnings that the wave of coronavirus infections could worsen drastically in the UK this coming winter, according to a new report from the Academy of Medical Sciences. “Combined with the disruption already created in the health service by COVID-19, a backlog of patients needing NHS assessment and treatment, and the possibility of a flu epidemic, this poses a serious risk to health in the UK.” And fears of a second wave are hitting the EU as well – Belgium has tightened its travel policy over concerns of an infection surge, and German Health Minister Jens Spahn voiced his concerns about “irresponsible” parties on the island of Mallorca.

Masks go mandatory in England

The British government has announced its latest move to keep coronavirus under control – facemasks will be mandatory in shops and supermarkets in England from 24 July onwards. Up to now England has only made face coverings mandatory on public transport – those failing to abide by the new rule face a fine of up to £100.

Experimental COVID-19 vaccine ‘safe and generates immune response’ 

An investigational vaccine, mRNA-1273, designed to protect against SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), was generally well tolerated and prompted neutralizing antibody activity in healthy adults, according to interim results published online in The New England Journal of Medicine. The ongoing Phase 1 trial is supported by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health.  The experimental vaccine is being co-developed by researchers at NIAID and at Moderna, Inc. of Cambridge, Massachusetts. Manufactured by Moderna, mRNA-1273 is designed to induce neutralizing antibodies directed at a portion of the coronavirus “spike” protein, which the virus uses to bind to and enter human cells.

And that is all for this EAPM midweek briefing – amid hopes that the crisis is finally, if gradually, coming to a close, it is nevertheless still vital to ensure that the omnipresent health risks are not underestimated, which means observing social distancing rules, wearing facemasks when required, and staying safe. Bye for now…

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