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Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) Therapy for Arthritis

By Platelet Rich Plasma Injections

Platelet-rich plasma therapy, sometimes called PRP therapy or autologous conditioned plasma (ACP) therapy, attempts to take advantage of the blood's natural healing properties to repair damaged cartilage, tendons, ligaments, muscles, or even bone.

See What Are Stem Cells?

Although not considered standard practice, a growing number of people are turning to PRP injections to treat an expanding list of orthopedic conditions, including osteoarthritis. It is most commonly used for knee osteoarthritis, but may be used on other joints as well.

This article describes how experts think PRP works, who might consider PRP injections for osteoarthritis, how to choose a doctor, and the injection procedure. Also discussed is the available research examining whether PRP is an effective treatment for osteoarthritis.

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When treating osteoarthritis with platelet-rich plasma, a doctor injects PRP directly into the affected joint. The goal is to:

Platelet-rich plasma is derived from a sample of the patient's own blood. The therapeutic injections contain plasma with a higher concentration of platelets than is found in normal blood.

What is plasma? Plasma refers to the liquid component of blood; it is the medium for red and white blood cells and other material traveling in the blood stream. Plasma is mostly water but also includes proteins, nutrients, glucose, and antibodies, among other components.

What are platelets? Like red and white blood cells, platelets are a normal component of blood. Platelets alone do not have any restorative or healing properties; rather, they secrete substances called growth factors and other proteins that regulate cell division, stimulate tissue regeneration, and promote healing. Platelets also help the blood to clot; a person with defective platelets or too few platelets will bleed excessively from a cut.

There is no universally accepted medical definition for platelet-rich plasma, so a PRP injection that one patient receives can be very different than that of another. Variations occur for many reasons, including:

How PRP production and composition affects the therapy's effectiveness is not well understood. Until more research is done, patients considering platelet-rich plasma therapy should take time to learn what is known about PRP.

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Experts are unsure exactly how PRP therapy may alleviate symptoms for certain orthopedic conditions. Doctors who use PRP therapy to treat osteoarthritis theorize that the platelet-rich plasma might:

It could be that platelet-rich plasma does all of these things, or none.5 More large-scale, high-quality clinical studies are needed before scientists can know.

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Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) Therapy for Arthritis

Losing Your Hair? This Is Why You Need A Scalp Analysis – Essence

By Platelet Rich Plasma Injections

In my journey to regrow my edges, I have been doing a number of things that are supposed to aid in restoring my hairline, including getting PRP (plasma-rich platelet) injections, applying Rogaine 5% topical foam minoxidil daily, washing my hair once a week, steaming and spritzing my hair with a nourishing mist every other day. But I realized that Id skipped one of the most important steps in the process; the one that I should have started with. It was time to get a scalp analysis.

I went to see scalp therapist, stylist and certified trichologist Bridgette Hill at Paul Labrecque Salon and Skincare Spa in Midtown Manhattan. Trichologists specialize in the science of the structure and function of the hair and scalp. They look at elements like fibers, possible scalp disease, and diagnose the cause of hair loss (note: dermatologists can be trichologists but not all trichologists are dermatologists).

My visit was eye opening for a number of reasons, but mainly because Hill did a scope to take a closer look at my scalp in order to better understand the condition of it, my follicles and my hair fibers.

Hair care is really scalp care, she said as she moved the scope around my scalp. Its not sexy. And the beauty industry wants sexy. They didnt make money dealing with the hair care part or the scalp care. So there were many different levels that forced the industry to ignore it because there was really no benefit. That has changed because [hair loss] is becoming more of an epidemic across race, gender, economic [background] and lifestyle.

Seeing my hair fibers and scalp through a scope brought some perspective to my treatment process. For one, I found out that my hairline was inflamed, which is bad for blood flow and can affect your scalp analysis. When I went to see Hill I was wearing a headband wig combination that was creating pressure along the hairline.

Hill was able to show me what the scalp looks like when its inflamed from pressure versus when its allowed to breathe and let blood flow. My constant wig wearing is not helping with growth. I also found out that I have wispy little hairs trying to push through follicles that I couldnt see with my naked eye. Its called miniaturization. The bad news is that miniaturization is a negative and typically means future hair loss. The good news is that my follicles are still active, and if I treat them right, we can reverse the damage and further loss.

Miniaturization is when we know that that follicle is being compromised. It can be compromised because of inflammation. It could be compromised if youre ill. It could be compromised because of genetics, whatever that is, Hill told me.

But the good thing is, they exist. Meaning that thats a hair follicle, nothings coming out of it, but I still see that little speck. I probably can get a hair or something out of it. Every time you see these little brown specks, those are follicles that just may need to be revved up.

Most people have anywhere from two to five hair fibers coming from each follicle, depending on how thick or thin the hair is. I had on average two; my hair being on the thinner side. But my fears that my edges wouldnt grow back at all were quelled. I was worried about keratinization, which happens when the hair is completely gone and it does not come back after miniaturization. It turns into scaly, baby soft skin just like Whitney Eaddy, the growth guru, told me months ago. I was relieved.

As someone who has suffered severe blood loss from fibroids, Hill also advised that I get my ferritin levels checked. Ferritin is a blood protein that contains iron, so low ferritin levels may mean iron deficiency. She noticed that my hair was very brittle even in areas of the scalp that were very healthy, which indicated to her that there was in internal issue causing hair damage. It could also be a catalyst for the hairline loss (in addition to my traction alopecia).

I didnt need to get a ferritin check to tell her that my iron levels were low (my Gyne had put me on iron supplements almost a year ago because of my abnormally low blood levels). But just mentioning this opened my eyes to the fact that my fibroids could essentially be affecting my hair health in ways that I never considered.

As a beauty editor Im exploring topicslike this all of the time. And I have access to experts that the average womanmight not. So I asked Hill, what should a woman do when she starts noticinghair loss and shes unsure of the cause or shes started treatment and itsgoing slowly. These are her three tips:

At the end of the day, seeing my scalp close up and having a professional explain what I was seeing was a big part of understanding how to treat my particular hair loss. Hill was able to show me things I was never able to see at home in my bathroom mirror. I found out things I didnt know, and corrected misconceptions that I had about my own hair.

But the biggest thing I took away from the scalp analysis was that theres hope. Im one step closer to treating my particular hair loss properly because I now know what Im working with. Whether you have follicles that can be reenergized, or your follicles are completely closed, it will help inform how you proceed with your treatment process.

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Losing Your Hair? This Is Why You Need A Scalp Analysis - Essence

Michael Schumacher health: Neurosurgeon contradicted Jean Todt statements that F1 legend is ‘still fighting,’ says Schumi is different now -…

By Stem Cell Doctors

Michael Schumacher has been out in the car racing world since he sustained a grave injury to the head in 2013. Nearly a year after he announced his official retirement from the F1 league, he was badly hurt while skiing with his family in the Alps.

Keeping it a secret

The racing champ almost lost his life in the accident but he was revived after doctors put him in a coma that lasted for months. It is not clear how long it was before he returned to consciousness because, at that time, his family already decided to keep his health condition and recovery progress a secret.

There was a total media blackout where journalists could not even gather information about Michael Schumachers condition and his family managed to keep it this way up to now. It has been over seven years since the accident and yet, only those who are close to Shumi and his family know how he is today.

Who shares info with the public?

Despite the strict secrecy, there are few details that still able to make its way to the papers and online publications. The info provided came from some of Schumachers friends or colleagues and sometimes from medical professionals who treated him once.

Through them, it was leaked that Michael Schumacher still seeks treatment from hospitals as his family tries everything to make him healthy again. Recently, it was reported that he was brought to a hospital in Paris for a stem cell procedure, one of the newest treatments available today and a doctor who did the procedure on him reportedly confirmed it.

Moreover, the racing champ continues with his road to recovery, the selected people who are allowed to see him include his former manager at Ferrari, Jean Todt. Last year, this friend revealed to the public that Michael Schumacher is still fighting.

Michael is in the best hands and is well looked after in his house, Express quoted Todt as saying. He does not give up and continues to fight and his family is fighting just as much.

The publication also mentioned another one of his friends, F1 chief Bernie Ecclestone, also said something optimistic with regards to Schumis health. He said that he is looking forward to the day when Michael himself will be the one to answer all of the peoples questions on his health condition.

Michaels true health condition

But then, one doctor seemed to have dismissed Michael Schumachers friends claims that he will be back after full recovery one day and come back normal. According to The Independent, a neurosurgeon shared what is really going on and it is far from what was claimed.

Nicola Acciari, a leading surgeon in Bologna, seems to allege that the truth is - Michael Schumacher is a different person now who is far from everyone remembers him to be. He said that since Schumi suffered from a serious head injury and has been on treatment for more than six years now, he is likely to have been altered at this point.

We must imagine a person very different from the one we remember on the track, with a very altered and deteriorated organic, muscular and skeletal structure, he told Contro Copertina via The Independent. All as a result of the brain trauma he suffered.

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Michael Schumacher health: Neurosurgeon contradicted Jean Todt statements that F1 legend is 'still fighting,' says Schumi is different now -...

Canton woman, man have stories to tell about cancer survivors – Wicked Local Canton

By Stem Cell Doctors

Everyone has a story of why they want to participate in the Boston Marathon Jimmy Fund Walk presented by Hyundai. Here are the stories of two Canton residents.

She's doubly grateful

Shannon Whalen, of Canton, knows the importance of getting good medical treatment.

As a child of two cancer survivors who both received treatment at Dana-Farber, this was the best way I could give back, stated Whalen, who will participate in the walk in honor of her parents.

Whalens father was diagnosed with leukemia when she was a newborn. He underwent a stem cell transplant and chemotherapy as she grew into a child.

After years of tough times, hospitalizations, doctors appointments, hair loss, and no appetite, he has been in remission for 15 years thanks to the amazing doctors and oncologists at Dana-Farber, Whalen wrote.

But while the family thought they were finally in the clear, her mother was diagnosed with stage 1 breast cancer almost 10 years later.

"Finding comfort in the outstanding care my dad received at Dana-Farber, we took her to the exact same place without a doubt that it would be the best decision, Whalen wrote. "My parents, myself, and our family are extremely lucky to have had access to the worlds best cancer center in our backyard. This accessibility allows me to say that they are both survivors and that we can continue to live our lives as a whole, happy family.

"...I have friends, family, and coworkers whose connections to cancer are devastating, which is why I have become so adamant about walking and fundraising for the Jimmy Fund Walk. I want to not only express my gratitude for their state-of-the-art care, but to help contribute to funding that will hopefully one day find a cure so that more people have the privilege to say they are a relative or friend of a survivor.

Whalen is a part of Team Tara which hopes to raise $100,000 this year. Over the years, the team has surpassed the $1 million mark.

Full effort for a quarter-century

Jim Maltz, of Canton, has been walking in the Boston Marathon Jimmy Fund Walk for 25 years. He first started to walk because he wanted to help Dana-Farber.

Maltz y walks for team Marching For Michael. He became involved with this team by serendipity. He ended up meeting Michaels father at the gym. Michaels father noticed that Maltz was wearing his Jimmy Fund Walk shirt and they began to talk. Maltz learned that Michael was treated at the Jimmy Fund from age six to nine. Maltz joined their team and was able to watch Michael grow and heal. Michael is now a freshman in college.

He is now taller than me, Maltz wrote. He towers over me.

His favorite part about the walk is at the finish line where he sees everyone hugging and being happy.

Knowing that all of the money raised goes directly to research is big for me, Maltz wrote. Its a good cause."

The Boston Marathon Jimmy Fund Walk raises the most money of any single day walk in the country.

The walk, scheduled for Sunday, Oct. 4, has raised more than $145 million in its more than 30-year history. Every dollar raised helps patients at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.

To register, support a walker or volunteer, visit http://www.JimmyFundWalk.org or call 866-531-9255. Registrants can enter the promo code NEWS for $5 off the registration fee. Walkers can walk any of the four distance options.

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Canton woman, man have stories to tell about cancer survivors - Wicked Local Canton

COVID-19 forcing Wisconsin’s incarceration system to adapt – Wisconsin Examiner

By Stem Cell Doctors

The Badger State is notorious for its high incarceration rate. So the well-being of Wisconsins incarcerated population remains one of the biggest looming challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic. News of the infection of a Department of Corrections (DOC) employee at the Waupun Correctional Institution further raise the stakes.

On March 21, Evers ordered a halt of all prison admissions in the state. A spokeswoman described the development as, part of our efforts to stop the spread of the virus and help keep staff and the people in the states care safe.

The order does not end the problem the pandemic poses within the incarcerated population, however, and some sheriffs objected that they had not been consulted on the plan, which could cause a backlog in county jails.

According to a DOC weekly population inventory, there are 23,167 incarcerated adults in Wisconsin and 136 in youth custody. Pile staff numbers on top of that, and youre looking at a large potentially high-transmission environment for the virus that causes COVID-19. March 18, an email was sent out to DOC and Waupun correctional staff regarding a staff member who tested positive. Our priority is the safety of everyone and we will continue to be proactive in our efforts as we deal with this ongoing issue, wrote Waupun warden Brian Foster. As always, be vigilant in your duties, be safe in all that you do, take care of yourselves and those around you.

The DOC says its been implementing measures over the last several weeks to minimize the risk to people housed within facilities. As a result of these actions, we feel equipped to deal with this situation, DOC spokeswoman Anna Neal tells Wisconsin Examiner. Each division maintains detailed pandemic plans that outline protocols and isolation procedures on what to do if someone was infected. Upon confirmation of a positive case, all potentially exposed staff were notified, and all adults in custody that were directly exposed were quarantined. Due to privacy concerns, details about the staff member and his or her work site remain confidential.

According to the Department of Health Services (DHS) the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the state stands at 381.

Several criminal justice reform groups are pushing to elevate the voices of incarcerated residents. Among them is the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Wisconsin, which held a virtual town hall on the evening of March 19.

Despite social isolation being a key to mitigating the virus spread, its a strategy Dr. Monica Vasudev, points out is not possible for incarcerated people. We know that close contact increases the risk of catching the virus, Vasudev says. Older inmates are at risk.

Vasudev outlines a complicated medical landscape for incarcerated Wisconsinites, who have trouble obtaining medications and are sometimes not diagnosed with an underlying health condition upon entering the correctional system.

Even soap is a limited resource for incarcerated people. Vasudev urges that Wisconsins incarcerated population be given easier access to soap, adequate sinks to wash, and proper instruction about how to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Protocols for newly arrived inmates may also have to shift across facilities under the DOCs oversight. If people are newly incarcerated, maybe they need to be quarantined for 14 days because we have whats now known as community spread, says Vasudev. People who work in the jails, they also need to be told to stay home if they have a cold.

The criminal legal system makes it essentially impossible to do the things that doctors say you need to do to keep yourself and your loved ones safe from COVID-19, says Dylan Hayre, Justice Division Campaign Strategist with the ACLU. It makes social distancing impossible. It makes hygiene inaccessible. It makes medical care wholly inadequate or also inaccessible. It just creates barriers and impediments all along the way for people who are trying to get help in the midst of this pandemic.

Much like paid sick leave and healthcare access, the pandemic is laying bare the inequities of the incarceration system. Cases of medical shortfalls and malpractice can be found within jails and prisons nationwide, including Wisconsin. One of the most striking incidents occurred in 2016, when 38-year-old Terrill Thomas was deprived of water for a week in jail and died. Three Milwaukee jail staffers were convicted of felony charges in connection with the death, and Thomas family was awarded a $6.7 million settlement. Thomas case is just one of numerous deaths that have occurred in the Milwaukee County jail since 2000.

I should note that these barriers arent new now that we have COVID-19, says Hayre. These are the barriers that have existed within the criminal legal system for centuries. Theyre just now being re-evaluated under the crisis in a way that they havent been before.

Moving forward, the ACLU is pushing several demands to help ensure the safety of incarcerated people. These include a moratorium on arrests for low-level offenses to help stem the tide of new people into the system. Prosecutors need to stop low-level charges, says Hayre, they need to dismiss as many charges as possible, they need to get people out if they are being brought in under arrest.

Like the rest of society, Wisconsins correctional institutions may need to change very rapidly. For example, while the average person may be buyingor stockpilinghand sanitizer, incarcerated people arent allowed sanitizers, which contain alcohol. Incarcerated residents also pay for soap, which they can only afford if they have someone putting money on their account, or if they work a low-wage, prison-provided job for pennies on the dollar, as Hayre puts it. It can take up to a weeks worth of incarcerated labor to pay for one bar of soap. Those are just a few of the problems incarcerated Wisconsinites are facing as the pandemic now creeps within their walls.

Emilio de Torre, community engagement director with Wisconsins ACLU, encourages organizers, activists, and concerned residents to contact their local sheriffs and district attorneys about this issue. Things like recommending that police issue tickets for low-level offenses rather than conduct arrests, reduce bail, eliminate overcrowding, and provide access to supplies for incarcerated people can all help.

Nothing is going to resonate more with your local sheriffs, or your police chiefs, or your DAs than you calling them, than you emailing them and reaching out directly, says de Torre. ACLU is also distributing a petition to urge Gov. Tony Evers to eliminate the practice of crimeless revocation, which is the number-one driver to our prison system, says de Torre, referring to those who will be re-incarcerated for breaking a rule of supervision rather than committing a new crime.

In Milwaukee County, many of the people who break these rules may find themselves within the notoriously overcrowded Milwaukee Secure Detention Facility (MSDF). Molly Collins, advocacy director with the ACLU of Wisconsin notes that in MSDF, there are three people in a cell. And theres no space there. Those are conditions where if this virus gets in those folks are going to be harmed.

In a press briefing on the pandemic on March 20, Evers said the DOC has implemented significant changes, to its operations across all institutions. Evers emphasized the priority of making sure the people that were responsible for are safe and secure and continuing to receive services.

At Waupun, the governor said contact tracing is being done to quarantine any possible exposures. Though Evers is confident in the operations of the DOC to deal with the virus, he admitted, obviously this is very stressful for the Department of Corrections, the people that work there, and the people that we are responsible for.

Chris Ott, executive director of Wisconsins ACLU tells Wisconsin Examiner, We believe that the administration is taking the grave risk that COVID-19 poses to incarcerated individuals seriously and is actively looking into how to stem the outbreak.

The ACLU of Wisconsin released a letter to Gov. Evers and corrections officials in his administration calling on the governor to grant commutations to anyone identified by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as particularly vulnerable and whose sentence would end within the next two years.

There are a lot of priorities right now, says Collins, but the most vulnerable in society, she adds are the ones that we need to be thinking about.

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COVID-19 forcing Wisconsin's incarceration system to adapt - Wisconsin Examiner

GPs asked to review 1.5 million patients most at risk from coronavirus – Pulse

By Stem Cell Doctors

GPs should review 1.5 million patients identified by NHS England as the most vulnerable to the coronavirus (Covid-19).

NHS England will send a standard letter to these patients asking them to stay at home at all times and avoid any face-to-face contact for at least 12 weeks.

GPs will be able to access a report on which patients will be contacted with specific advice from today - with NHS England directing GPs to review the list and provide additional support to patients.

The patients, who are at'thehighest risk of severe illness that would require hospitalisation from coronavirus', include those who have had an organ transplant; people with specific cancers; people with severe respiratory conditions; people with rare diseases; people onimmunosuppression therapies; and pregnant women with significant heart disease.

NHS England said in a letter to GPs: 'We ask that you review this report for accuracy and, where any of these patients have dementia, a learning disability or autism, that you provide appropriate additional support to them to ensure they continue receiving access to care.'

GPs can identify the patients contacted by NHS England through an 'at high risk' indicator code that has been applied to each patient record by the practice's clinical system supplier.

'Your supplier will inform you of the code they have used, which should be treated as temporary until a definitive list of Covid-19 "at risk" SNOMED codes is released,' NHS England said.

'Your GP System supplier will also provide a report that will list those patients that have been centrally identified as being at high risk. You should have this by 23 March.'

But NHS England said central datasets were 'not sophisticated enough to identify all categories of patients who should be included in the vulnerable groups list' and it was therefore calling on GPs and specialist consultants to help identify patients who may have been missed.

The letter said: 'We appreciate this is a complex task requiring difficult judgements, and we ask for your help, as the GP central to the care of these patients, in achieving this.'

In a separate letter, England's chief medical officer Professor Chris Whitty asked GPs to add to the list of most vulnerable patients using their 'clinical judgement'.

The letter said: 'You may know of specific additional patients in your practice who you think are particularly high risk.

'On the other hand there are a limited number of people that we can shield effectively or for whom this highly socially isolating measure would be proportionate on health grounds; many patients who fulfil the criteria may after discussion with you prefer not to be placed under such strict isolation for what will be a prolonged period.'

1. Solid organ transplant recipients

2. People with specific cancers

People with cancer who are undergoing active chemotherapy or radical radiotherapy for lung cancer

People with cancers of the blood or bone marrow such as leukaemia, lymphoma or myeloma who are at any stage of treatment

People having immunotherapy or other continuing antibody treatments for cancer

People having other targeted cancer treatments which can affect the immune system, such as protein kinase inhibitors or PARP inhibitors.

People who have had bone marrow or stem cell transplants in the last 6 months, or who are still taking immunosuppression drugs.

3. People with severe respiratory conditions including all cystic fibrosis, severe asthma and severe COPD

4. People with rare diseases and inborn errors of metabolism that significantly increase the risk of infections (such as SCID, homozygous sickle cell disease)

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

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

Source:NHS England

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GPs asked to review 1.5 million patients most at risk from coronavirus - Pulse

Why soap can kill coronavirus and how its discovery changed human history – The Irish Times

By Gene Therapy Clinics

It probably began with an accident thousands of years ago. According to one legend, rain washed the fat and ash from frequent animal sacrifices into a nearby river, where they formed a lather with a remarkable ability to clean skin and clothes. Perhaps the inspiration had a vegetal origin in the frothy solutions produced by boiling or mashing certain plants. However it happened, the ancient discovery of soap altered human history. Although our ancestors could not have foreseen it, soap would ultimately become one of our most effective defenses against invisible pathogens.

People typically think of soap as gentle and soothing, but from the perspective of microorganisms, it is often extremely destructive. A drop of ordinary soap diluted in water is sufficient to rupture and kill many types of bacteria and viruses, including the new coronavirus that is currently circling the globe. The secret to soaps impressive might is its hybrid structure.

Soap is made of pin-shaped molecules, each of which has a hydrophilic head ? it readily bonds with water ? and a hydrophobic tail, which shuns water and prefers to link up with oils and fats. These molecules, when suspended in water, alternately float about as solitary units, interact with other molecules in the solution and assemble themselves into little bubbles called micelles, with heads pointing outward and tails tucked inside.

Some bacteria and viruses have lipid membranes that resemble double-layered micelles with two bands of hydrophobic tails sandwiched between two rings of hydrophilic heads. These membranes are studded with important proteins that allow viruses to infect cells and perform vital tasks that keep bacteria alive. Pathogens wrapped in lipid membranes include coronaviruses, HIV, the viruses that cause hepatitis B and C, herpes, Ebola, Zika, dengue, and numerous bacteria that attack the intestines and respiratory tract.

When you wash your hands with soap and water, you surround any microorganisms on your skin with soap molecules. The hydrophobic tails of the free-floating soap molecules attempt to evade water; in the process, they wedge themselves into the lipid envelopes of certain microbes and viruses, prying them apart.

They act like crowbars and destabilize the whole system, said professor Pall Thordarson, acting head of chemistry at the University of New South Wales. Essential proteins spill from the ruptured membranes into the surrounding water, killing the bacteria and rendering the viruses useless.

In tandem, some soap molecules disrupt the chemical bonds that allow bacteria, viruses and grime to stick to surfaces, lifting them off the skin. Micelles can also form around particles of dirt and fragments of viruses and bacteria, suspending them in floating cages. When you rinse your hands, all the microorganisms that have been damaged, trapped and killed by soap molecules are washed away.

On the whole, hand sanitisers are not as reliable as soap. Sanitisers with at least 60 per cent ethanol do act similarly, defeating bacteria and viruses by destabilising their lipid membranes. But they cannot easily remove microorganisms from the skin. There are also viruses that do not depend on lipid membranes to infect cells, as well as bacteria that protect their delicate membranes with sturdy shields of protein and sugar. Examples include bacteria that can cause meningitis, pneumonia, diarrhea and skin infections, as well as the hepatitis A virus, poliovirus, rhinoviruses and adenoviruses (frequent causes of the common cold).

These more resilient microbes are generally less susceptible to the chemical onslaught of ethanol and soap. But vigorous scrubbing with soap and water can still expunge these microbes from the skin, which is partly why hand-washing is more effective than sanitiser. Alcohol-based sanitiser is a good backup when soap and water are not accessible.

In an age of robotic surgery and gene therapy, it is all the more wondrous that a bit of soap in water, an ancient and fundamentally unaltered recipe, remains one of our most valuable medical interventions. Throughout the course of a day, we pick up all sorts of viruses and microorganisms from the objects and people in the environment. When we absentmindedly touch our eyes, nose and mouth a habit, one study suggests, that recurs as often as every 2 1/2 minutes we offer potentially dangerous microbes a portal to our internal organs.

As a foundation of everyday hygiene, hand-washing was broadly adopted relatively recently. In the 1840s Dr Ignaz Semmelweis, a Hungarian physician, discovered that if doctors washed their hands, far fewer women died after childbirth. At the time, microbes were not widely recognised as vectors of disease, and many doctors ridiculed the notion that a lack of personal cleanliness could be responsible for their patients deaths. Ostracised by his colleagues, Semmelweis was eventually committed to an asylum, where he was severely beaten by guards and died from infected wounds.

Florence Nightingale, the English nurse and statistician, also promoted handwashing in the mid-1800s, but it was not until the 1980s that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued the worlds first nationally endorsed hand hygiene guidelines.

Washing with soap and water is one of the key public health practices that can significantly slow the rate of a pandemic and limit the number of infections, preventing a disastrous overburdening of hospitals and clinics. But the technique works only if everyone washes their hands frequently and thoroughly: Work up a good lather, scrub your palms and the back of your hands, interlace your fingers, rub your fingertips against your palms, and twist a soapy fist around your thumbs.

Or as the Canadian health officer Bonnie Henry said recently, Wash your hands like youve been chopping jalapenos and you need to change your contacts. Even people who are relatively young and healthy should regularly wash their hands, especially during a pandemic, because they can spread the disease to those who are more vulnerable.

Soap is more than a personal protectant; when used properly, it becomes part of a communal safety net. At the molecular level, soap works by breaking things apart, but at the level of society, it helps hold everything together. Remember this the next time you have the impulse to bypass the sink: Other peoples lives are in your hands. New York Times

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Why soap can kill coronavirus and how its discovery changed human history - The Irish Times

Contract Development and Manufacturing Organization Market worth USD 278.98 Billion by 2026; Increasing Demand for Pharmaceutical Products Will Aid…

By Gene Therapy Clinics

Pune, March 24, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The global contract development and manufacturing organization market size is projected to reach USD 278.98 billion by the end of 2026. Mergers and acquisitions are a growing trend among major companies across the world. According to a report published by Fortune Business Insights, titled "Contract Development and Manufacturing Organization (CDMO) Market Size, Share & Industry Analysis, By Service {By CMO (API, Finished Product {Solid Dosage Forms, Injectables, and Others}, and Packaging)} {By CRO (Discovery, Preclinical, Clinical Trial, and Laboratory Services)} and Regional Forecast, 2019-2026," the market was worth USD 130.80 billion in 2018 and will exhibit a CAGR of 10.0% during the forecast period, 2019-2026.

For more information in the analysis of this report, visit: https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/contract-development-and-manufacturing-organization-cdmo-outsourcing-market-102502

Report Overview:

The contract development and manufacturing organization market is segmented on the basis of factors such as service and geographies. The report provides forecast values for the market for the period of 2019-2026. The factual figures have been obtained through trusted sources. Moreover, these predictions are made on the basis of extensive research analysis methods, coupled with the opinions of experienced market research professionals. The report highlights the latest product launches and labels major innovations in the market. In addition to this, it states the impact of these products on the growth of the market. The competitive landscape has been discussed in detail and predictions are made with respect to leading companies and products in the coming years.

Product Overview:

A contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) helps healthcare companies for the development of drugs. It is involved in the overall process, right from the clinical trials till the commercialization and distribution of the drugs. The complexities in therapies and lack of in-house manufacturing capabilities will have a positive impact on the growth of the market in the coming years. The high investment in CDMOs will bode well for the overall market in the coming years. Moreover, the increasing number of strategic mergers and collaborations will contribute to the growth of the market. The use of advanced technologies in drug development processes will emerge in favor of the companies operating in the market.

Request a Sample Copy of the Research Report: https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/enquiry/request-sample-pdf/contract-development-and-manufacturing-organization-cdmo-outsourcing-market-102502

Recipharm AB Introduces New Fully Integrated Service Platform

Accounting to the huge potential held by CDMOs, several companies are looking to invest more in the development of newer products. The huge investments have yielded a few exceptional products in recent years. In May 2019, Recipharm AB announced the launch of a fully integrated service platform for inhalation products. This will include the early stages of the products including the pre-clinical trials to the commercialization of the products. Recipharm's latest product will generate huge sales and subsequently high revenues for the company. This will not just benefit the company, but will have a positive impact on the growth of the overall market in the coming years.

Asia Pacific to Register Highest CAGR; Increasing Company Collaborations Will Aid Growth of the Regional Market

The report analyses the ongoing CDMO market trends across North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and the Middle East and Africa. Among these regions, the market in Asia Pacific will register the highest CAGR in the coming years driven by the increasing number of company collaborations and mergers in several countries across the world. The market in North America is projected to emerge dominant in the coming years, owing to the presence of several well-established companies. As of 2018, the market in North America was worth USD 48.72 billion in 2018 and this value is projected to increase further in the coming years.

List of key companies profiled in theCDMO Market Research Report are report:

Industry Developments:

February 2019: Jubilant Biosys collaborated with Sanofi to develop small molecule inhibitors for in the CNS therapeutic area.

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Detailed Table of Content:

1. Introduction 1.1. Research Scope 1.2. Market Segmentation 1.3. Research Methodology 1.4. Definitions and Assumptions2. Executive Summary3. Market Dynamics 3.1. Market Trends 3.2. Market Drivers 3.3. Market Restraints 3.4. Market Opportunities4. Key Insights 4.1. Key Industry Developments (Mergers, Acquisitions, & Partnerships,) 4.2. The Regulatory Scenario for key countries/Regions 4.3. Key Market Trends 4.4. Key Services Mapping by Leading Players5. Global Contract Development and Manufacturing Organization (CDMO) Market Analysis, Insights and Forecast, 2015-2026 5.1. Key Findings / Summary 5.2. Market Analysis, Insights and Forecast By Service 5.2.1. CMO 5.2.1.1. API Manufacturing 5.2.1.2. Finished Product Manufacturing 5.2.1.2.1. Solid Dosage Forms 5.2.1.2.2. Injectables 5.2.1.2.3. Others (Semisolids/liquids, Powder) 5.2.1.3. Packaging 5.2.2. CRO 5.2.2.1. Discovery 5.2.2.2. Preclinical 5.2.2.3. Clinical 5.2.2.4. Laboratory Services5.3. Market Analysis, Insights and Forecast By Region 5.3.1. North America 5.3.2. Europe 5.3.3. Asia Pacific 5.3.4. Rest of the World

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Contract Development and Manufacturing Organization Market worth USD 278.98 Billion by 2026; Increasing Demand for Pharmaceutical Products Will Aid...

Coronavirus weekend update: Plans outlined to prepare hospitals for surge in patients – Mountain View Voice

By Gene Therapy Clinics

Santa Clara County is working with local hospitals to prepare for an expected surge in coronavirus patients, county Board of Supervisors President Cindy Chavez and Santa Clara Valley Medical Center CEO Paul Lorenz said at a press conference on Sunday.

Lorenz said there are approximately 2,500 hospital beds in the county. Roughly 400 of the beds are dedicated to pediatric care and 350 are for critical care, 75% to 80% of which are currently occupied. Approximately 290 additional beds can be converted to an "ICU level of care," he said.

"If in fact the demand goes beyond our capacity, we are working with the county emergency operations center to come up with a communitywide search plan," he said. "That plan would include looking at all 2,100 adult beds that we can equip and staff for critically ill patients."

Lorenz added that "less acute patients" could then be taken to alternative facilities in the county to free up room at hospitals.

The county is also looking to hire more health care workers and is bringing retired employees back into the workforce. The county can reach out to the state and federal governments for additional staff should that be necessary, Lorenz said.

"We need to have the surge capacity in place as quickly as possible," he said. "We are moving as rapidly as we can. ... All of the hospitals in this county have prepared their own surge capacity plans, and that allows those facilities to ramp up their own facilities beyond what they're currently staffed at.

"I think the most important variable in all of this is to maintain our health care workforce and to grow that workforce ... and the ability for us to equip those hospital beds with ventilators and other necessary equipment. We are also moving very rapidly with the county EOC, the state and the federal government to make sure we have those items in place as quickly as possible."

He said the community has been "really helpful" in following the directions of local health officials, adding that local emergency rooms are now seeing a "much lower volume." Anyone with symptoms of COVID-19 is being asked to call their health care provider or 211 before going to urgent care or an emergency room.

"We were not expecting to have the results so quickly of the emergency rooms not being crowded because people are actually taking those steps, and that's really critical," Chavez said. "We want to make sure we have beds for people who are in the highest need."

Chavez provided another piece of good news: Community members have donated thousands of masks, gowns and other personal protective equipment for health care workers amid a national shortage of such items. The Valley Medical Center Foundation is continuing to collect monetary donations online and protective equipment, which can be dropped off beginning at 8 a.m. Monday, March 23, at the foundation's office on the Santa Clara Valley Medical Center campus, 2400 Clove Drive in San Jose.

Masks and gloves that aren't hospital grade are also needed for local food bank workers, she noted.

Chavez also encouraged those who are healthy and want to volunteer to deliver meals to sign up at siliconvalleystrong.org.

Access a recording of the press conference here.

Santa Clara County

Santa Clara County reported two more deaths and 39 new infections as a result of the coronavirus on Sunday afternoon, bringing the total number of cases to 302.

Chavez said in a press conference Sunday that the ninth and 10th recorded deaths in the county were women in their 60s and 40s, respectively. Both women died Saturday, March 21. The woman in her 40s was hospitalized Monday, March 16, according to the county. Further information was not provided.

Officials also announced in a press release Sunday that Santa Clara County Director of Communications and Public Affairs Maria Leticia Gmez has tested positive for COVID-19.

She became ill on March 13 and received her positive test result on Sunday, March 22.

Gmez agreed to share her health status publicly, according to the press release. She has been isolated at home since March 13.

"The county has instructed all employees, including those who have been in contact with Ms. Gmez, that they should not go to work if they show any symptoms of illness," the county said. "We are also notifying all members of the county workforce with whom Ms. Gmez may have had contact while contagious that they may have been exposed."

Of Santa Clara County's COVID-19 cases, 108 people are hospitalized; 77 are presumed to have been community transmitted; 75 are close contacts of known cases; 22 are associated with international travel; and 10 people have died, according to the county's public health department.

On Saturday, the county reported 67 new cases of coronavirus, which marked the biggest jump in cases in one day for the county.

"This increased case count is not unexpected given community transmission, an increase in provider reporting, and growing testing capacity through the commercial market," according to a county press release.

San Mateo County

As of Sunday morning, March 22, San Mateo County announced seven new COVID-19 cases, bringing its county total to 117, and one death.

Parking restrictions near Windy Hill Preserve

Portola Valley Town Manager Jeremy Dennis issued an emergency order on Sunday that prohibits parking adjacent to the entrances to Windy Hill Preserve's trails on Portola and Alpine roads and Willowbrook Drive, according to a Sunday afternoon email sent out to residents by Mayor Jeff Aalfs.

"Our experiences (including reports from many of you) over the last two days at Windy Hill indicate that not only are some of the trails incompatible with social distancing, the use of our streets for parking and trail entry is creating unsafe conditions as well," Aalfs wrote.

The order will be enforced beginning Monday, March 23, "until the County Order is lifted," he said. There will be increased signage in the affected areas.

Windy Hill, a Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District preserve, is among several local spots that have seen an uptick in visitors in recent days. The National Park Service announced in a tweet Saturday night that it would close multiple gates at Point Reyes National Seashore beginning Sunday, March 22, "after unprecedented visitation."

The open space district reaffirmed Friday, March 20, that its preserves and trails are open to the public with new health and safety measures in place, including: restrooms are closed; areas with high use will be intermittently closed without notice to promote safe social distancing; group gathering areas are closed; and group activities are suspended.

Aalfs noted in his email that town staff "has been in touch with San Mateo and Santa Clara County officials, MROSD officials, the Sheriff's Office, and others in discussion about the use of open space facilities during the current shelter in place crisis," but did not specify whether further measures are being considered at this time.

SAFE farmers market

For three weeks beginning Thursday, March 26, the SAFE (Sanitary Allocation of Food Essentials) Portola Valley Farmers Market will operate from 2 to 6 p.m. at the site of the usual Thursday farmers market, 765 Portola Road, according to an email from the town Sunday.

The market will be pre-order only with drive-thru pickup. Food will be prepacked, and households will be limited to five bags per order. The deadline for all orders will be 7 p.m. the Wednesday before the market, and products for the following week's market will become available online at noon every Friday.

The market will also offer special delivery for residents of the Sequoias retirement community and those in vulnerable populations.

For more information or to pre-order, visit the SAFE Portola Valley Market website.

Menlo Park-based lab to process coronavirus tests from new Hayward center

A partnership with a Menlo Park genetics laboratory firm will allow Hayward to open a dedicated center offering free COVID-19 coronavirus testing on Monday, March 23.

The COVID-19 testing center at the city's fire station at 28270 Huntwood Ave. can handle up to 370 tests a day, "But we don't expect it to get that high," said city spokesman Chuck Finnie.

Tests are intended for those displaying symptoms, first responders, and health care workers with recent suspected exposures to the novel coronavirus.

The intent is "to take pressure off hospital emergency rooms, provide quicker answers for recently exposed first responders and health care workers, and to enhance the region's capacity to suppress new transmissions through isolation after testing," the city said in an announcement Sunday.

"We don't want the wondering and the worried to come they need to stay home," Finnie said. "We want sick people to come."

He added, "It's not a test people are going to want to take unless they have to. It's not pleasant."

The test involves swabbing of nasal cavities and the back of the throat.

Hayward Fire Department firefighter-paramedics will staff the center, with assistance from ambulance company emergency-medical technicians.

"No referral from a medical doctor is required to be screened," the city said.

The center will operate from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily and is free and open to "anyone regardless of where they live or immigration status," according to the announcement.

"We know it's going to be chaotic on the first day," Finnie said.

People will first undergo a two-part screening for illness, which includes fever, cough and/or shortness of breath, and/or other respiratory symptoms.

At an initial drive-up station, people will be asked about symptoms, then either be cleared to leave or sent to a walk-up tent to be screened for illness.

The city has appropriated funding for the center with the hope of reimbursement from county and state public health agencies.

The center is made possible through a city partnership with Menlo Park-based Avellino Lab USA Inc., a company that specializes in "gene therapy and molecular diagnostics with a focus in precision medicine for eye care."

The laboratory will analyze the tests and "Results can be available in as little as six hours or the next day in most cases."

Finnie said Avellino is a civic-minded company that is supplying the tests "at a very, very good price" and is also looking for similar partnerships with other jurisdictions to open additional centers.

He said officials from Fremont were assessing the Hayward center on Sunday.

Menlo fire begins pandemic response unit

The Menlo Park Fire Protection District now has a Pandemic Emergency Response Unit staffed by a two-person team. The unit is tasked with taking calls of suspected COVID-19 cases, according to a press release issued Saturday.

The district recently received seven calls of suspected COVID-19 in one day and expects to see that number go up.

Staff assigned to the unit will utilize the "highest level of Emergency Medical Services" and personal protective equipment. The district said they will aim to minimize contact with whoever may have COVID-19 while on a call to decrease possible exposure to the disease.

They will also be responsible for decontaminating each scene they visit and fire apparatus used on the call to prevent traces of the virus on equipment, clothing and/or the apparatus as outlined by district guidelines.

"We believe that by raising the bar on our personal protective clothing and by putting this new special response unit in place, we can slow or help to hopefully more effectively stop its spread," Chief Harold Schapelhouman said in the press release.

Some fire district personnel have volunteered to serve on the unit, he said.

"The number of our off-duty firefighters grew again today, as yet another Menlo Park Firefighter, the seventh, was home sick and scheduled for testing.

"At some point, we know one of our firefighters will contract COVID-19," Schapelhouman added, "most are not in the risk categories and all are extremely healthy and fit based upon the daily expectations of our profession, but our collective goal is to delay, or stop, spread for as long as possible."

Increasing health care capacity

To create more space at hospitals, Santa Clara County has teamed up with the U.S. Office of Public Health Preparedness and Response to establish a temporary Federal Medical Station at the Santa Clara Convention Center to accommodate up to 250 people, according to a statement issued Saturday. The station will be managed by the federal office to serve patients in need of short-term, subacute care and do not have COVID-19. It will be equipped with beds, supplies and medicines, according to the county.

The station, being developed with federal, state and local agencies, is expected to help make more acute hospital beds available.

Chavez said Sunday that the county is considering other sites besides the convention center for coronavirus response efforts but didn't offer any specific details.

The state can also increase capacity at clinics, mobile health care units and adult day care facilities as part of its COVID-19 response under an executive order issued by Gov. Gavin Newsom on Saturday. In addition, local governments are allowed to work with retired employees in addressing the public health crisis. The order also "reinforces the importance of the delivery of food, medicine and emergency supplies," according to a press release from the governor's office. To read a copy of the order, visit gov.ca.gov.

Reporting violations and fraud

On Saturday, Santa Clara County announced an updated resource for the public to report nonessential businesses they see operating in violation of the shelter-at-home order, which was issued on Tuesday and will last through April 7.

The public can notify the Santa Clara County District Attorney's Office of such breaches at a new phone number, 408-792-2300. Callers can leave a voicemail in English, Spanish and Vietnamese.

Additionally, the U.S. Department of Justice is encouraging people to report suspected fraud schemes related to the coronavirus by calling the National Center for Disaster Fraud hotline at 866-720-5721 or by sending an email to disaster@leo.gov. So far there have been reports of individuals and businesses selling fake cures for COVID-19 online; phishing emails from entities posing as the World Health Organization or the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; malicious websites and apps that appear to share virus-related information to gain and lock access to devices until payment is received; and people seeking donations for illegitimate or nonexistent charities, according to the department.

Shelter at home orders

Last week started off with the announcement of a shelter-at-home order for most of the Bay Area and ended with a similar mandate extending throughout the state, actions taken in response to the growing coronavirus crisis.

On Monday, March 16, public health leaders from six Bay Area counties joined together to announce the shelter-at-home order for their respective jurisdictions. The measure limits the public to essential activities, such as health care operations; businesses that provide food, shelter and social services; and other necessities.

The state followed suit through its own order announced Thursday night by Gov. Gavin Newsom, who pointed to more than 1,030 confirmed cases and 18 deaths across California as factors in the decision.

Bay City News Service contributed to this report.

Find comprehensive coverage on the Midpeninsula's response to the new coronavirus by Palo Alto Online, the Mountain View Voice and the Almanac here.

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Coronavirus weekend update: Plans outlined to prepare hospitals for surge in patients - Mountain View Voice

The Answer to the Coronavirus Is More Abortion? – Townhall

By Adult Stem Cells

The Abortion Lobby has taken political operative Rahm Emanuels infamous advice to heart: You never want a serious crisis to go to waste. And what I mean by that is an opportunity to do things that you think you could not do before. In some unprecedented power grabs, abortion advocates are using the crisis of the coronavirus to infiltrate the medical profession and taxpayer resources with political overreach that attempts to make the business of abortion the one thing in America that doesnt come to a halt.

Overreach #1: Pretending that abortion is healthcare, an essential service. The abortion industry has argued that in light of the need to prioritize essential and nonessential care for Covid-19 sufferers and the public at large, abortion must be considered a vital procedure.

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists made a public statement calling for uninterrupted abortions as an essential component of comprehensive health care. It was a view that the abortionists lobby, the National Abortion Federation, shared in spades, saying, During this public health crisis, pregnancy care, including abortion care, remains an essential health service Abortion is provided for almost one in five pregnancies in the United States, as part of the continuum of pregnancy care. A continuum that ends in death, if the abolitionist gets a fee.

Some states initially determined that abortion needed to be prioritized, such as in Massachusetts and New York, but that is changing in some locations.

In Ohio, Attorney General Dave Yost ordered abortion vendors to stop the abortion surgeries though in the same timeframe The Womens Med Center of Dayton and Planned Parenthood of Greater Ohio told the Dayton Daily News that they will remain open.

Meera Shah, chief medical officer for Planned Parenthood in the New York City suburbs of Long Island, Westchester, and Rockland told Buzzfeed that they wouldnt close, saying, Pregnancy-related care, especially abortion care, is essential and life-affirming.

Seriously? Far from an essential service, abortion is not a treatment curing pregnancy. Prioritizing ending life in the name of a life-ending virus is heartless in the extreme.

Overreach #2:Trying to coerce more healthcare workers to end life. ACOG advises, Community-based and hospital-based clinicians should consider collaboration to ensure abortion access is not compromised during this time."

Talking with the Huffington Post, the Very Rev. Katherine Hancock Ragsdale, president of the National Abortion Federation, echoed the desire to address what the abortion-supporting think tank the Guttmacher Institute calls a shortage of clinicians who can provide sexual and reproductive health services.

One or two people unable to show up can make the difference between a clinic being able to function or not, she said, arguing for more physicians to join in a business that ends life to replace any abortionists who cant work.

This pitch comes as abortionist shortages exist nationwide not because of a virus, but because real healthcare professionals dont want to kill preborn babies through abortion.

Overreach #3: Urging Americans to stock up on birth control so that when the quarantine is over, we dont welcome new life. Planned Parenthood lectures Americans about not using their alone time to result in a Coronavirus Baby Boom. Dont worry, says the Associated Press, Family planning providers around the country are taking steps to help prevent a boom in pregnancies due to coronavirus self-isolation.

We remain committed to delivering compassionate, non-judgmental reproductive and sexual health care to all who need it while we take proactive measures to stay as far ahead of COVID-19 as possible," said Meagan Gallagher, chief executive officer of Planned Parenthood of Northern New England, to the AP.

But its pretty judgmental to lecture people that new life will be unwelcome.

Overreach #4:Insinuating that without human organs from aborted infants, there will be a delay in treatment for coronavirus sufferers.

This kind of heartlessness strikes at the fear that treatment could be delayed without opening up another profit center for abortion vendors the sale of human remains, the broken bodies of aborted infants. The Washington Post, in a recent report, noted the complaints of a researcher who wanted infant remains, despite the fact that many cell lines are available for use and that successful treatments have come from ADULT stem cells, not aborted fetal cells.

The Charlotte Lozier Institute notes that fetal cells have not been used to create vaccines, such as needed today for Covid-19. Consider that the historical fact is that fresh aborted fetal tissue has never been used in vaccine production. The original Salk and Sabin polio vaccines used monkey tissue to grow virus. While there are a couple of historical cell lines that were grown from abortions in the 1960s, kept in cell culture, and used for some vaccines, even these cell lines are obsolete and no longer used for most vaccines today.

Overreach #5: Pressuring the FDAto reduce the medical standards for distributing life-ending abortion drugs, so that they can be handed out in ways known to harm women. Abortion drugs given to women later in pregnancy or experiencing an ectopic pregnancy have resulted in womens deaths, leading to regulations from the FDA that include a physical examination for womens safety.

But that hasnt stopped abortion vendors from trying to sell the pills on-line or pushing for reduced safety standards so they can make a buck faster.

Leading abortionist Dr. Daniel Grossman called telemedicine the perfect solution for women looking to terminate early pregnancies, according to Mother Jones unless you care about complications to hurting women, that is.

Overreach #6: Attempting to infiltrate the Covid-19 aid package with healthcare dollars that could be used for abortions. Faced with a nation fearing disastrous consequences from the coronavirus, what did abortion extremists in the U.S. House of Representatives do? Add healthcare dollars that could be used to pay for abortions. But President Trump and pro-life allies were able to win Hyde Amendment protections to keep the package focused on disaster relief not taxpayer funded abortion.

Overreach #7:Pretending that the pro-life policies of the Trump administration have harmed current life-saving efforts. The Guttmacher Institute, in detailing their complaints of the Covid-19 response, listed a number of policies, from limiting taxpayer funds from paying for abortions around the world (the Mexico City Policy) to changes in the Title X program that wont allow abortion vendors to market their services to women looking for family planning services. What do those things have to do with Covid-19? Nothing, but that doesnt stop the complaints.

In a recent fundraising appeal, Planned Parenthood Action Fund (PPAF) asked for donation as they told supporters, We are working tirelessly to ensure that everyone gets the care they need, and to advocate for policies that protect and expand our health and rights. A strange appeal at a time in which the life-saving care that people should be donating to for their actual health is taking place everywhere but in abortion facilities. But in a business marked by crass opportunism, what more do you expect.

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The Answer to the Coronavirus Is More Abortion? - Townhall

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