In the past, it’s been difficult to determine with consistency whether or not a new or rare mutation in a gene actually causes a disease and has clinical impact, even if it is well known that the gene and the disease have a clear relationship. Some prior methods have tried to find clinically impactful regions  … Read more

With Omicron BA.5 continuing to surge, here are the top 3 viral surveillance insights for this week:   Reinfections are happening more often but NOT more quickly: While many have been concerned that the average time in between infections has decreased, our data is actually showing that it has increased from 230 days in April, to  … Read more

As you gear up for the July 4th weekend, here are the top 3 viral surveillance takeaways we’re seeing from our dashboard and additional analyses: Omicron BA.4 and BA.5 are Ascending Quickly: BA.4 and BA.5 are now at ~50% of cases nationwide (up from 20% two weeks ago),while BA.2.12.1 has declined to only 27% (from  … Read more

In order to explain the concept of population genomics, it is helpful to examine (or consider) the origins of the two areas of healthcare: genomics and population health, that form its foundation. Genome.gov defines “genomics” as the study of all of a person’s genes (the genome), including interactions of those genes with each other and  … Read more

As health systems work towards providing more targeted, personalized care to patients, it is crucial that identified solutions not only enhance the patient experience but also increase provider satisfaction, reduce overall healthcare costs and improve population health. The promise of genomic-led medicine is exciting but it is critical that we understand where and how it  … Read more

We’re seeing a continuation of our last set of viral surveillance trends from the Helix dashboard. Below are our top 3 takeaways, as well as, our commentary on what this means for the trajectory of the pandemic:  The Omicron Subvariant Fight is Turning: BA.4 and BA.5 continue their upward growth, now at ~20% of cases  … Read more

With the rising popularity of wearable devices, more patients than ever are reporting self-diagnoses of atrial fibrillation to their doctors. Because early treatment of heart conditions can be critical in slowing their progression, identifying individuals in the early stages of heart failure may significantly improve their chances of delaying or preventing negative – or sometimes even  … Read more

With Omicron BA.4 and BA.5 showing up in the news more frequently, here are the latest viral surveillance takeaways from our nationwide data:  While BA.4 and BA.5 were at low levels (~1%) two weeks ago, the two variants have picked up speed and now, collectively, represent 7% of positive cases nationwide. Seeing their dominance in countries  … Read more

Scientists at Helix continue to track COVID-19 and flu through our nationwide viral surveillance efforts and have been providing this information directly to our health system executives. We’ll be posting our latest insights more regularly here, in case the information may be helpful for other healthcare leaders in formulating response efforts.  Our Top 5 Insights  … Read more

Genomic testing has been used for years as a point solution in isolated clinical care but is now increasingly viewed as a potential solution to health screening on a much larger scale. In March, James Lu, MD, PhD, co-founder and CEO of Helix, and Leslie Dockan, RN, Vice President of Primary Care and Operations at  … Read more