#021 · 21 April 2024

Happy Sunday you lovely lot.

I need to admit something to you all… I’m feeling pretty ropey today after celebrating my good friend’s 40th birthday yesterday. Day drinking in the sunshine… it was lush. But I am feeling it today. No regrets though. And luckily for me, the hubby is to the rescue with a Sunday Roast in the oven as I type.

With that in mind, I’m gonna jump straight in this week because my stomach is roaring for chicken and gravy!

Lip service for cold sores,

Or is it a brilliant-cut campaign?

Can 16-carat diamond lip jewellery end cold sore stigma? Who knows, but I am here for it. Just look at it! Abreva, the cold sore cream have clocked the #diamondlips trend on TikTok and literally doubled down on it, to create (in their own words):

(OK that brand BS made me lol a little) And you can actually win this one-of-a-kind manifestation of confidence, aka a pair of diamond lips designed by Verstolo Fine Jewelry in the products sweepstakes competition.

This is a really playful goofy, headline-grabbing activation to reassure people who get cold sores, to treat it and have the confidence to own it.

I love it! What do you think? Would you wear them?

A great (and heavy) piece from my fave Steven Novella on leveraging the power of AI to design new drugs. The research discussed a generative AI application SyntheMol, trained on chemical bonds.  It does exactly what traditional drug design does, but in orders of magnitude faster. In just 9 hours it generated  25,000 candidate antibiotic drugs, from novel compounds that could potentially avoid current resistance to existing antibiotics. Very cool.

🤩 Celeb Spot 🤩

Magan Trainer is a dog mum

One for all of you working in Animal Health… and the dog fans and pop fans! Meghan Trainer is a dog mum and her baby is getting the best. The pop star who shot to fame for her song All About That Bass back in 2014, has reached a new career highlight - partnering with Fresh Pet in their latest TVC and creating a catchy track to boot. Not that we needed more proof, but the pet parents trend just keeps getting stronger.

More on pets…. Strava has partnered with Fi Smart Collar so members can now integrate their dog’s activity metrics and share with their community on Strava.

Sicker than the patients

Your NHS frontline needs support

I have to share this gut wrenching new campaign from Frontline19 and adam&eveDDB to address the issue of the mental health crisis faced by NHS staff.

Frontline 19 is an independent nationwide service delivering psychological support to the NHS and Frontline. According to the organisation, over half of NHS workers experience poor mental health, and one in four have considered suicide.

The new campaign explores the hidden suffering experienced by NHS staff. The exhaustion of masking with a brave face. The abuse and mistreatment received by the public. The trauma of working in healthcare. The striking visuals and stories playing through the campaign are hard to ignore, inspiring a rallying cry to get behind your NHS, and ensure they receive the emotional support and counselling they need, so that they can continue to take care of you.

• You can support Frontline 19 by donating here

• And if you are a frontline worker and need support, you can get help here

“Our digital lives have become one shame closet after another. A shame closet is that spot in your home where you cram the stuff that has nowhere else to go. It doesn’t have to be a closet. It can be a garage or a room or a chest of drawers or all of them at once.”

Is it time to euthanise your Gmail? This thought-provoking article makes a case for reassessing the digital junk draw we call email, and how the likes of Gmail, once an astonishing technological triumph, are no longer fit for purpose.

F*ck responsibly

At-home STI test kits

I love a bit of innovation in healthcare, so I had to share this sexual health crowd funder from New Zealand’s Project Gender Innovation Studio. The Ettie Kits are at-home tests for common STIs: chlamydia, gonorrhoea, syphilis, and herpes. And you get your results in less than 15 minutes.

Whilst at-home testing is nothing new, you’ve a got to admit that it’s application in sexual health is a bit of a game changer. No more awkward sitting in the clinic waiting rooms, no more embarrassing swabs. It’s the one thing people know they need to stay on top of, and yet do the exact opposite… because the cringe of it all.

Research from the organisation highlights the rising trend of STIs in people 45+, and our growing nonchalant attitudes towards these infections - one compating clamydia to an ear infection. All of which emphasises the need for more accessible testing and education that transends age barriers.

I think this is bloody brilliant, and I hope they reach their funding target to expand their operations. I’ll be keeping one ear to the ground for more innovations in this space. At-home smear test anyone?

A new report from Dr Hilary Cass, a leading consultant paediatrician, has found that thousands of children questioning their gender identity have been let down by the NHS. The findings put a spot light on the use of medical interventions that lack in evidence, along with the absense of appropriate mental health support. This area of healthcare is short on expertise and there’s insufficient guidance. Leaving many healthcare professions afraid to work in this area, at the detriment to patients that are just passed through the system.

OK, that is us for this week.

Before I run off to drink gravy from the jug, I want to say quick thank you to everyone that got in touch after the last issue. You are all bloody brilliant (you know who you are). I posted more reflections from my “quiet period” on LinkedIn over here.

Your support is everything, so if you’ve found something interesting or insightful in today’s issue, please forward on to a friend or colleague.

I’ve got an exciting couple of weeks coming up. More on that next time.

Until then… take care of yourself

EML ✌️