Covid may have set back for the first time since the pandemic began, but this year’s health news has still been a rollercoaster ride.
How well do you remember this tumultuous year?
Test your knowledge of health news with our quiz, from the role of former health secretary Matt Hancock in ‘I’m a Celeb’ to animal organ resuscitation.
Former health secretary Matt Hancock has been expelled from the Tory party for his I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here!
1. The biotech company Moderna rose to prominence during the pandemic for its mRNA Covid vaccine. But in January, the Massachusetts-based company announced that the first dose of a vaccine using the same breakthrough technology had been tested for what other virus?
2. The global Covid vaccination program launched in 2020 reached a milestone of how many doses in January?
3. From February, doctors in Canada could prescribe an annual pass to national parks for patients to see breathtaking landscapes. What was the purpose of prescribing these passports?
4. Which NHS Trust reported that 295 infant deaths and cases of brain damage and the deaths of more than a dozen women could have been prevented if better care had been taken?
5. The UK government made a change to eating out in April as part of its ongoing battle to tackle the obesity epidemic. what was that
6. According to pharmacists, which drugs should be rationed in April because demand is low due to the “Davina McCall effect”?
7. In which country did Google searches for “get a vasectomy” peak this June? The increase in searches corresponded with a two- to threefold increase in the number of people requesting the procedure.
This year, an increase in demand for a drug due to the celebrity’s campaign on the subject has been called the “Davina McCall effect”.
8. The UKHSA declared a national polio incident this year after the disease was found in the sewage of which city? The polio virus can cause paralysis in unvaccinated people, but was declared eradicated in 2015.
9. The case of Roe v. Wade legalized abortion in the United States. But that was overturned by the Supreme Court this year, giving states the power to ban cancellations. What year was the original ruling?
10. Yale University scientists pumped an experimental substance into the veins of dead animals. It successfully regenerated cells in their organs. What animal was the therapy tested on?
11. Scotland was the first country in the world to make which product available free to all? The move followed a six-year campaign by Labor spokeswoman Monica Lennon to fight poverty.
12. The UK’s longest-living heart transplant patient, Steven Syer, died in August, but how many years did he survive after receiving his new heart?
13. An embryo was grown and “born” in a laboratory at the Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel without using a sperm, egg or uterus. But what kind of embryo was it?
14. Princess Anne visited Uganda in October amid calls for a shutdown of the capital Kampala. But what disease was the country hit by an outbreak at the time?
Princess Anne speaks at the official opening of a branch of Opportunity Bank in Nakivale refugee camp in South West Uganda in October
15. Global diagnoses of which Victorian respiratory disease rose for the first time in two decades in October?
16. In October, a new institute opened in California to study the nature, biology and therapeutic uses of a body fluid to “harness its power.” What liquid was it?
17. Former health secretary Matt Hancock was expelled from the Tory party for going on about “I’m a celebrity…get me out of here”! in November. For what purpose did he claim to be there to raise awareness?
18. According to the World Health Organization, which virus that broke out this year will be renamed because the original name “plays in racist and stigmatizing language”?
19. What drug is given to alcoholics after a study found that when combined with therapy, it seemed to help 86 percent of the patients studied stay sober for six months?
20. Which famous singer announced in December that he suffers from an incurable neurological disorder that can eventually turn patients into “human figures”?
answers
1. HIV. The company announced that experts from the George Washington University (GWU) School of Medicine and Health Sciences in Washington, DC, administered the first doses of an experimental HIV vaccine. It works with the same logic as the Covid vaccination, except that it teaches the immune system to target the HIV virus and not SARS-CoV-2.
2. One billion. It has been revealed that the global COVAX vaccine exchange program delivered one billion doses of COVID-19 vaccine in January. Shipments to poorer countries were limited, but shipments picked up in the last quarter of 2021, helping to reach the milestone.
3. To improve mental and physical health. Medical research has shown that being in contact with nature has positive health benefits. Patients in British Columbia, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Ontario are eligible for Parks Canada passports, but it is hoped they will eventually be rolled out nationwide.
It has been revealed that the global vaccine sharing program COVAX delivered one billion doses of COVID-19 vaccine in January
4. Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital Trust. An inquiry released in March found that between 2003 and now the Trust made catastrophic mistakes which led to the preventable deaths of 201 babies and nine mothers.
5. Calories on menus. From April 6, restaurants, cafes and takeaways with more than 250 employees had to print the number of calories in each dish on their in-store, delivery and takeaway menus. The government said it was to tackle high levels of obesity and encourage people to make healthier choices.
6. Hormone replacement therapy (HRT). The women were told to only take HRT for three months at a time to ease the pressure on the supply chain. HRT saw a surge in demand after Davina McCall filmed a TV show about how life-changing the drug was for women going through menopause.
7. The USA In June, the trend for the search reached its all-time “peak in popularity”, almost doubling the last seen in September 2021. This followed the fall of Roe v. Calf.
8. London. Evidence of the vaccine-borne poliovirus was found in February during routine monitoring of effluent at Beckton’s treatment plant, which covers north and east London.
An investigation has found Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust was responsible for catastrophic failures between 2003 and now, leading to the preventable deaths of 201 babies and nine mothers
9. 1973. The 1970s ruling legalized abortion. But in June, the Supreme Court voted to ban abortion in Mississippi after 15 weeks. It effectively overrode the constitutional right to abortion, leaving the decision up to individual states.
10. Pigs. Yale researchers successfully revived the organs of some dead pigs using a blood substitute – which contained compounds to suppress blood clotting, meaning it slowed decomposition. The pigs were not actually brought back to life, but scientists hope to one day be able to use them to preserve the organs of deceased people for transplants.
11. Hygiene products. Local authorities are now required by law to make items such as tampons and wipes available free of charge to “anyone who needs them” in Scotland. The move is an attempt to end poverty.
12. 38 years. Mr Syer, who lived in Gloucester, died a month after his 80th birthday after a short illness. He was one of the first heart transplant patients in the UK, receiving it in 1984 at Harefield Hospital in Middlesex.
13. A mouse. The embryo is made exclusively of stem cells. On the sixth day it grew a tail, on the eighth day a beating heart and even the beginnings of a brain. The success of making organs in a Petri dish has been described as “wild and remarkable”.
14. Ebola. The first case was registered in Mubende district and on September 20, Ugandan health authorities declared an outbreak. In October, lockdowns were called for in the nation’s capital to curb the spread.
Steve Syer (pictured), who lived in Gloucester, died a month after his 80th birthday after a short illness. He was one of the first heart transplant patients in the UK, receiving it in 1984 at Harefield Hospital in Middlesex
15. Tuberculosis. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 10.6 million people will contract tuberculosis in 2021, 4.5 percent more than in the previous year. TB has been called “the ultimate disease of poverty” by Mel Spigelman, president of the TB Alliance.
16. Breast milk. The Human Milk Institute in San Diego will test human milk as a therapy for chronic diseases, including heart disease, diabetes and breast cancer. Decades of research have shown that breast milk strengthens babies’ brains, immune systems and bones, but the lab’s work will also examine its effects in adults.
17. Dyslexia. Mr Hancock vowed to use his “incredible platform” to speak out about the learning difficulties. He was slammed for not mentioning it until two weeks after the reality show.
18. Monkey pox. The virus is renamed mpox, but both names are used for a year until monkeypox is phased out.
19. Ketamine. Researchers from the University of Exeter found the drug to be safe and acceptable for alcoholics and helped many stay sober. The Ketamine for Reduction of Alcohol Relapse (Kare) study is now entering the next phase of development.
20. Celine Dion. In a tearful December video, Celine revealed that she suffers from Stiff Person Syndrome. A condition that causes muscle spasms severe enough to break bones.
Source link
Crystal Leahy is an author and health journalist who writes for The Fashion Vibes. With a background in health and wellness, Crystal has a passion for helping people live their best lives through healthy habits and lifestyles.
