The 11 most mind-blowing, awe-inspiring health discoveries and innovations of 2020

Hilary BrueckDec 23, 2020, 01:02 IST

United Parcel Service President of Global Healthcare, Wesley Wheeler, holds up a sample of the vial that will be used to transport the Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine at a Senate Transportation subcommittee hybrid hearing on December 10, 2020, in Washington, DC.Samuel Corum / AFP via Getty Images

In 2020, scientists learned a lot about the coronavirus, developing several impressive new vaccines.
Striking innovations included a new treatment for peanut allergies, and a non-hormonal gel birth control.
Here are 11 key health discoveries and innovations which blew our brains right off in 2020.

In 2020, scientists found new ways to vaccinate people, built disposable cameras that can travel inside the body, learned how the coronavirus can spread through the air, and approved a new kind of birth control that's more goopy than the rest.

Here are 11 of the most remarkable health discoveries of the year:

The most impressive 2020 health discovery of all may be that the world got its very first mRNA vaccines. And it looks like they work really, really well against the coronavirus.

MARK LENNIHAN/POOL/AFP/Getty

The most impressive 2020 health discovery of all may be that the world got its very first mRNA vaccines. And it looks like they work really, really well against the coronavirus.

Cheap steroids, like dexamethasone, are surprisingly effective for treating very ill COVID-19 patients.

A pharmacist displays a box of Dexamethasone at the Erasme Hospital amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, in Brussels Reuters

New monoclonal antibody treatments for the coronavirus do show promise, especially if they're taken early on.

Monoclonal antibodies confirm E. coli in cattle fecal samples. ARS/Getty Images

Despite some early hesitation, experts have embraced the idea that the coronavirus can indeed float through the air, under the right circumstances.

CEO of Caesars Entertainment Tony Rodio (left) and Wayne Newton (in the tux) watch customer Ben Laparne roll the dice at the reopening of Caesars Palace on June 4, 2020 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Denise Truscello/Getty Images for Caesars Entertainment

The pandemic has also highlighted the importance of getting enough vitamin D.

Ruobing Su/Insider

As scientists learned more about how the novel coronavirus spreads, they realized why face masks can be a simple, but highly effective, transmission-blocking tool.

Jabin Botsford/Getty Images

The coronavirus wasn't the only health issue driving scientific innovations this year. A powder made from peanuts was approved to help allergic kids better tolerate accidental exposures.

MSPhotographic/Getty Images

The coronavirus wasn't the only health issue driving scientific innovations this year. A powder made from peanuts was approved to help allergic kids better tolerate accidental exposures.

New gene therapies are being tried out for sickle cell disease, and they look promising.

Sickle cell patient Samuel Price spoke during a roundtable at the White House on September 14, 2020. Alex Wong/Getty Images

New drugs were also approved for high cholesterol.

Shawn Patrick Ouellette/Portland Press Herald via Getty Images

Regulators also approved a new kind of disposable scope, which could help curb dangerous and deadly hospital infections.

A lighted probe used for endoscopy testing. Pascal Deloche/Godong/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

Finally, a new birth control gel was approved for use by the FDA. It's not quite as effective as the pill, but it is hormone-free.

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The 11 most mind-blowing, awe-inspiring health discoveries and innovations of 2020

The most impressive 2020 health discovery of all may be that the world got its very first mRNA vaccines. And it looks like they work really, really well against the coronavirus.

Cheap steroids, like dexamethasone, are surprisingly effective for treating very ill COVID-19 patients.

New monoclonal antibody treatments for the coronavirus do show promise, especially if they're taken early on.

Despite some early hesitation, experts have embraced the idea that the coronavirus can indeed float through the air, under the right circumstances.

The pandemic has also highlighted the importance of getting enough vitamin D.

As scientists learned more about how the novel coronavirus spreads, they realized why face masks can be a simple, but highly effective, transmission-blocking tool.

The coronavirus wasn't the only health issue driving scientific innovations this year. A powder made from peanuts was approved to help allergic kids better tolerate accidental exposures.

New gene therapies are being tried out for sickle cell disease, and they look promising.

New drugs were also approved for high cholesterol.

Regulators also approved a new kind of disposable scope, which could help curb dangerous and deadly hospital infections.

Finally, a new birth control gel was approved for use by the FDA. It's not quite as effective as the pill, but it is hormone-free.