Reuters Health News Summary
Following is a summary of current health news briefs.
Coronavirus records in Florida, Texas and California erode hopes of economic revival
Record-breaking coronavirus cases and deaths in several U.S. states are dimming hopes of economic recovery, with cellphone data showing shoppers are staying away from stores in areas where cases are rising the most. In Arizona, Texas, Florida, Georgia and South Carolina, which were among the first states to reopen commerce in May, retail foot traffic now lags levels elsewhere, data firm Unacast said.
New $1 billion fund aims to steer antibiotic companies in tough market
A new $1 billion fund backed by 20 drugmakers including Merck & Co Inc and Pfizer Inc is aiming to bolster struggling antibiotic companies and sustain a pipeline for new treatments, an industry group said on Thursday. Antibiotic makers have struggled with anemic investment and bankruptcies, even after the approval of new drugs, as fears of drug-resistant microbes force hospitals to adopt a more conservative approach toward such treatments.
U.S. CDC reports 3,047,671 coronavirus cases
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Thursday reported 3,047,671 cases of the new coronavirus, an increase of 64,771 cases from its previous count, and said that the number of deaths had risen by 991 to 132,056. The CDC reported its tally of cases of the respiratory illness known as COVID-19, caused by the new coronavirus, as of 4 pm ET on July 8 versus its previous report a day earlier.(https://bit.ly/322yFET)
New WHO guidance calls for more evidence on airborne transmission
The World Health Organization on Thursday released new guidelines on the transmission of the novel coronavirus that acknowledge some reports of airborne transmission of the virus that causes COVID-19, but stopped short of confirming that the virus spreads through the air. In its latest transmission guidance, the WHO acknowledged that some outbreak reports related to indoor crowded spaces have suggested the possibility of aerosol transmission, such as during choir practice, in restaurants or in fitness classes.
First coronavirus case confirmed in Syria's northwest - aid groups
The first coronavirus case was confirmed in northwest Syria on Thursday, aid workers said, raising fears for a region where hospitals lie in ruins and camps overflow with people after nearly a decade of war. Doctors have worried for months about the pandemic reaching the northwest, Syria's last big rebel bastion, where an army offensive uprooted around a million people earlier this year.
Trump still sees hydroxychloroquine as promising against COVID-19 -White House
U.S. President Donald Trump continues to see a malaria drug, hydroxychloroquine, as a promising drug to be used to prevent infection with the coronavirus, the White House said on Thursday, though the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has said its efficacy and safety were unproven. "The president has always said that he sees hydroxychloroquine as a very promising prophylactic but that every person should not take it unless they get a prescription from their doctor," White House spokeswoman Kayleigh McEnany said at a news conference.
UK toll from confirmed COVID-19 cases rises to 44,602, up 85
The United Kingdom's death toll from confirmed cases of COVID-19 rose to 44,602 on Thursday, up 85 on the previous day, the government said. Including suspected cases, more than 55,000 people have died, according to a recent Reuters tally of official data sources.
WHO promises 'honest evaluation' of how world handled COVID-19
The World Health Organization (WHO) said on Thursday it was setting up an independent panel to review its handling of the COVID-19 pandemic and the response by governments. The announcement follows strong criticism by U.S. President Donald Trump's administration of the global agency's role in the crisis - though the WHO said the review was not linked to the United States.
EU raises its bet on blood plasma in search for COVID-19 therapy
The European Union wants to fast-track funding to treat COVID-19 patients with blood plasma collected from survivors, an EU document seen by Reuters shows, in a sign of the bloc's growing confidence in the experimental treatment. The move also highlights the more assertive approach being taken by the 27-nation union in the race to find effective drugs and vaccines against the new coronavirus, after the United States scooped up several promising candidates.
Africa could have COVID-19 vaccine in first quarter if human trials work: South Africa trial lead
Africa could have a COVID-19 vaccine in the first quarter of 2021 if human trials underway in South Africa succeed, a university professor heading the trials said on Thursday. The ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 experimental vaccine is one of 19 being tested on humans globally in a race to find vaccines to stop a pandemic that has killed more than half a million people so far.
