Team:TECHNION-ISRAEL/survey

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Survey

Survey



We took a sample of 60 random people, received various responses and briefly summarized the results below:


Question 1

Q:  What autoimmune disease or allergy do you have?

A:   The answers to the first question were very diverse. Here are some examples for peoples' allergies: allergy to dust, cats, trees, peanuts, bee stings, medicines, grass, mold, latex, dogs, mosquito bites and many more ...
Here are some examples for peoples' autoimmune diseases: Celiac, Crohn’s, vitiligo, juvenile diabetes, Hashimoto, FMF, hypothyroidism, psoriasis, inflammatory bowel disease, etc.
We noted that most people suffering from allergies, suffer from more than one (sometimes up to 7 different allergies). Moreover, approximately half of the people who reported about autoimmune disease also reported allergies.


Question 2

Q:   At what age did you become sick/allergic?

A:  The survey respondents reported the ages when their allergy or disease first began. Their answers ranged from birth to 29 years old. The obvious conclusion is that allergies or autoimmune diseases can break out at almost any age (our polled population was young).


Question 3

Q:   Do you feel that the allergy/disease has affected your lifestyle? If so, please describe how.

A:  According to question number 3, all the respondents answered that their allergy/disease affects their life. Here are some examples:

  • Preventing them from meeting with their friends who have a dog/cat.
  • Some are required to go to the hospital for injections that help with allergy symptoms.
  • Some have permanent equipment/medications they must take for the rest of their lives.
  • Some suffer from sneezing and chronic rhinitis.
  • Some are unable to enter certain rooms or classrooms for fear of being exposed to a lot of dust.
  • Some avoid traveling in nature for fear of having an allergic reaction.
  • Some suffer from stains on the skin and nails that damage their appearance.
  • Some are taking medications regularly that weaken their body.
  • Some suffer from shortness of breath during an allergic attack and need urgent medical assistance.
  • Some are required to prepare food in advance before leaving home.
  • Various people reported headaches, vomiting, pain, fatigue, runny nose and itching.
  • Some cannot use specific cosmetics etc.

Question 4

Q:   Are there special expenses surrounding your disease/allergy?

A:  Most of the responders wrote that they needed to spend money on treatments, special food, medicines, etc. The total expenses were between tens to hundreds of dollars each month.


Question 5

Q:   Are you using some of the treatments currently offered on the market? If so, which ones?

A:  When asked if they are using different treatments for the symptoms of their disease/allergy, a considerable number of respondents said that there is currently no efficient treatment against their disease or its symptoms. Others said they use medications, while a final group just tried to prevent their exposure to allergen as much as possible. People with autoimmune diseases reported that they regularly require drug administration, injections, special diets and hormone replacement therapy.

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Question 6

Q:   If you could vaccinate your child for the rest of their lives against autoimmune and allergic diseases, would you choose to do so?

A:  When asked about the possibility of immunizing their child against autoimmune diseases and allergies, some were hesitant and some were enthusiastic, but everyone was fascinated by the idea, answering "yes" unanimously.


Question 7

Q:   If this vaccination was given to newborn infants and involved harvesting cord blood (a procedure that is done after birth, well accepted today, and used for many other purposes), genetically engineering the cord blood cells, and then returning them to the baby with a simple infusion, assuming this whole process does not endanger or hurt the child more than a "normal" vaccine.
Would you still choose to vaccinate your child with this new procedure?

A:  Interestingly, when told about our idea and the strategy we wanted to implement in order to prevent allergies and autoimmune diseases, only 32% of the respondents supported the idea and agreed to vaccinate their child with such a treatment. The other 68% felt fear, hesitation and expressed doubts about the procedure.

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Department of Biotechnology & Food Engineering
Technion – Israel Institute of Technology
Haifa 32000, Israel

    • igem.technion.2017@gmail.com