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Update: COVID, Skin Cancer Screening, welcome Rik and opening hours
02 May 2022 NewsletterIn this newsletter, we will update you on four topics:
- COVID-19 pandemic update
- Update skin cancer screening
- Staffing
- Opening hours during holidays
1. Update COVID-19 pandemic
More than two years into the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, we can speak of a virus whose impact on the health of people worldwide is waning.
Worldwide, enormous numbers (502 million as of 12-04-2022) of infections have been registered, but in most countries the number of infections is slowly declining, and the number of hospital admissions and serious illnesses are also being reported less and less.
For now, it is mainly the Omikron B1 and B2 virus that is causing the larger numbers of infections, but fortunately this virus version is a lot less pathogenic than its predecessors.
Despite this, the virus still affects our daily lives and work, as measures and advice still apply to prevent infection and spread.
This certainly applies to those people who work in groups, either in the Netherlands or abroad, or who have to travel abroad for their work. Other rules and guidelines may apply there, which in turn may entail specific requirements. Certainly locally, as a result of e.g. a recent outbreak (see China/Shanghai), the rules and guidelines can be applied and complied with even more strictly.
These specific rules and guidelines can still include showing a negative result of a Rapid Antigen or PCR test, or quarantine. For the time being, we can and will be able to provide the Rapid Antigen and PCR tests for our clients, with the corresponding certificates.
2. Update Skin Cancer Screening
Within the ‘Sun and Skin Cancer’ pilot project 100 clients of the CTC were screened for skin cancer, pre-stages of skin cancer and sun damage characteristics. This is done with the help of an advanced SkinTwin skin screening studio. This studio is a new means of detecting skin cancer at an early stage and is used in addition to the CTC’s regular screening facilities.
Skin cancer was detected in 5 of the 100 clients who voluntarily participated in the pilot skin cancer was detected in 5 of the 100 clients who voluntarily participated in the pilot. There melanomas, squamous cell carcinomas and basal cell carcinomas were found. Basal cell carcinomas were found. Two clients had already undergone an operative surgery. Unfortunately, these figures with the most recent figures from the Dutch Cancer Registry. In 2021, skin cancer was diagnosed in more than 80,000 people were diagnosed. The graph clearly shows the increase in skin cancer over the past 2 decades.
Outside workers, including seafarers, work a lot and for a long time in the full sun, which causes unconscious sun damage to the skin. Sun damage is a major risk factor for skin cancer and therefore of great importance. In the vast majority of the participants, significant sun damage was indeed observed. This mainly concerned the face, neck, neckline (so-called sailor skin), chest and shoulders. SkinTwin uses special UV-scan equipment to make this sun damage visible.
In addition to the sun damage related abnormalities, other (treatable) skin diseases were also detected: psoriasis, eczema, foot fungus and fluid retention in the lower legs. A large proportion of the clients took the opportunity to ask questions (and share their uncertainty) regarding benign skin abnormalities, such as stalk warts, dermatofibromas and birthmarks.
Positive feedback
Based on a feedback form, the ‘test subjects’ indicated that they saw many advantages in the SkinTwin skin test. It is striking that the participants unanimously answered “yes” to the question “would you recommend this skin examination to a colleague? In addition, the participants are very satisfied with the smoothness and care of the skin cancer screening.
Being smart about skin cancer
Where the family doctor or modern apps only assess one suspicious spot at a time, SkinTwin checks the entire skin for suspicious moles. For this, SkinTwin uses state-of-the-art “Vision” technology. It needs little explanation that this way of screening is much more powerful than
assessing one single spot. Moreover, SkinTwin offers a unique follow-up. This consists of a periodic assessment of the skin by the dermatologist in combination with a digital follow-up of the original screening. Small changes in the skin can thus be detected objectively and effectively. This is an important weapon in the fight for early detection of skin cancer. Essential, because early detection maximises the chance of cure.
A disadvantage is that SkinTwin’s service does not fall within the regular health insurance package. Still, the costs of a screening do not outweigh the suffering for the client when a skin cancer is found too late. In addition, personnel with skin cancer end up in a long-term treatment trajectory, which results in failure
3. Staffing
As of 1 April 2022, Rik van Peperstraten has joined the company as a Business Developer. Rik has extensive experience in this field and will focus within our company on our existing clients, but also on new business. We are delighted with his arrival and you will certainly meet him in the coming period. He would like to introduce himself:
Dear reader,
Enthusiastic, ambitious and driven, that’s me! I have just started in my new position and would like to introduce myself to you personally. My name is Rik van Peperstraten and I will be taking on the role of Business Developer within CTC Erasmus MC.
In my career, I have mainly worked in logistics, shipping and robotics. After enjoying these industries, I was ready for a new challenge. I have found this new challenge at the CTC Erasmus MC. I am very proud that I can share my expertise within the company and with you, the client. I will focus on speaking to and visiting as many existing clients as possible. But I will also focus on attracting new clients in order to build up a more diverse and sustainable clientele.
Therefore, I would like to take this opportunity to inform you that I will contact you in the coming period to continue the positive cooperation of the past years into the future. Hope to see you soon.
With kind regards,
Rik van Peperstraten
4. Opening hours (holidays)
On weekdays during office hours from 8:30 am to 5:00 pm and on weekends and holidays from 9:00 am to 10:00 am (only for COVID diagnostics). Two Fridays are mandatory holidays, on which we are only open in the morning for COVID diagnostics.
- Easter, Sunday 17 and Monday 18 April;
- King’s Day, Wednesday 27 April;
- Liberation Day, Thursday 5 May;
- Compulsory day off Friday 6 May;
- Ascension Day, Thursday 26 May;
- Compulsory day off Friday 27 May;
- Whitsun, Sunday 6 and Monday 7 June.
Would you like to make an appointment for a PCR test, an antigen rapid test, a serology test or would you like to request more information? You can contact us by telephone on 010-8201120 or send an e-mail to world@travelclinic.com. Your mail will also be read on weekends and holidays.
Required data to schedule an appointment: your name, date of birth, BSN, passport number, email address and a phone number.
Our team wishes you happy holidays and hope to see you soon.