Healthcare is arguably one of the most stressful parts of life. Whether it be the financial part, the illness part, or a mixture of both, it can be hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel. However, it is important to reflect on the brilliant advancements that have saved millions and the beautiful minds that created them.
1. The COVID-19 Vaccine
While this list is in no particular order because it is impossible to rank something like this, this innovation deserves to be recognized. After the coronavirus breaks out in late 2019 and the vaccines were FDA approved by 2022. This turnaround is nothing short of a miracle that saved not only hundreds of thousands of lives but also allowed everyone to return to normal.
2. First defibrillator
The first defibrillator was created in 1930 by William Kouwenhoven and looked like the picture below. In 1947, he used the defibrillator to bring a 14-year-old patient back to life. Now, it is a piece of equipment that is seen in every hospital around the world and has saved too many lives to count. This ingenuity was never before seen because of the risks that it imposed. However, without this invention, many people would not be here with us today and given a second chance at life.
3. Discovery of Vaccination
While we have already discussed a very important vaccine in our history, it is valuable to give credit to the creation of vaccines as a whole. The first vaccine was all the way back in 1796 when an 8-year-old was successfully inoculated against smallpox. It is impossible to know how much this has impacted our society today. With vaccines for so many deadly diseases, life for all of us has been made so much better by the bravery of doctors and patients back in the 18th century.
4. HIV Treatments
The HIV epidemic claimed 39 million lives and still remains one of the greatest health challenges of today's world. The mysterious illness ravaged communities and drugs prescribed to people caused life-threatening side effects. However, teams of doctors around the globe were determined to find a better solution. In 2007, the FDA approved a new HIV drug, raltegravir. This turned out to be the stepping stone to creating a world where an HIV diagnosis is no longer a death sentence. The stigmatism that people were facing because of this disease is now able to be less impactful because symptoms can be managed by 1 pill a day.
5. The creation of Insulin
Last, but by no means least, is a deeper look into the creation of insulin and the advancements concerning diabetes. Up until 1921, the treatment for diabetes was, well none. Patients were put on 450-calorie diets and had a poor quality of life. However, after a 14-year-old boy was saved with a shot of insulin in 1922, everything changed. The research surrounding insulin was nothing short of a miracle. Now, just 100 years later, diabetes patients are able to have insulin on them and personalized to their exact needs. The transformation of having no treatment to a solution that allows people to have their cure in their pocket is nothing short of life-changing.
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