Reuters Health News Summary

Following is a summary of current health news briefs. 'Don't go to the ER': how a New York pediatrician is dealing with the coronavirus outbreak

When a 3-year-old patient of New York pediatrician Dr. Greg Gulbransen dislocated her arm, he told her parents not to take her to the emergency care center, fearing that could put the family at risk of contracting COVID-19, the disease caused by the new coronavirus. Instead, he said, he met them on their front lawn, where he popped the girl's joint back in. China reports 46 new coronavirus cases in mainland

China reported 46 new confirmed cases of the coronavirus in the mainland, the same as a day earlier, according to the country's health authority on Thursday. Of the new cases on Wednesday, 34 were imported, compared with 36 on Tuesday, the National Health Commission said. Explainer: What are coronavirus antibody tests?

With most Americans under stay-at-home orders to help contain the spread of the novel coronavirus and more than 2 million people infected globally, talk is turning to how antibody tests might help guide efforts to lift these restrictions. WHAT IS AN ANTIBODY TEST? WHO regrets Trump funding halt as global coronavirus cases top 2 million

The head of the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Wednesday he regrets U.S. President Donald Trump's decision to pull funding for the agency, but that now is the time for the world to unite in its fight against the new coronavirus. Trump's move prompted condemnation from world leaders as global coronavirus infections passed the 2 million mark. Mexico could force businesses to close if they violate coronavirus rules

Mexico could force the closure of companies in non-essential sectors if they refuse to suspend operations during a state of emergency to curb spread of the coronavirus, a top health official said on Wednesday. The announcement comes after a group representing U.S. manufacturers told President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador that an economic shutdown over the virus could weaken North America's response to the pandemic. Face masks may be 'new normal' in post-virus life as U.S. prepares gradual reopening

The death toll from the coronavirus pandemic in the United States approached 31,000 on Wednesday as governors began cautiously preparing Americans for a post-virus life that would likely include public face coverings as the "new normal." The governors of Connecticut, Maryland, New York and Pennsylvania each issued orders or recommendations that residents wear face masks as they emerge from isolation in the coming weeks. French coronavirus toll jumps by record 1,438 deaths

The number of people who died from coronavirus infection in France jumped by 1,438 or 9.1% to 17,167 in the biggest single-day increase as a number of nursing homes reported cumulative tolls following the three-day Easter weekend, the health ministry said on Wednesday. The number of people who died in hospitals rose by 514 or 5% to 10,643, less than the 541 reported on Tuesday, but the cumulative death toll in nursing homes rose by 924 or 17% to 6,524, compared with 221 on Tuesday. As Brazil's COVID-19 testing lags, available labs go unused

Despite Brazil's backlog of more than 90,000 specimens awaiting coronavirus testing and a rising death toll, laboratories are idle due to a lack of materials, the agriculture ministry said. Brazil's agriculture ministry told Reuters in a written response to questions earlier this week that seven labs it had made available for coronavirus testing and which were cleared by the health regulator two weeks ago are still not being used for tests. Coronavirus hospitalizations in New York down for second day

Hospitalizations of people with the novel coronavirus fell for a second day in New York which will send ventilators to Michigan and Maryland, further signs that the hardest-hit U.S. state is gaining some control over the outbreak, Governor Andrew Cuomo said on Wednesday. Cuomo disclosed an outline of his plan to reopen New York's shuttered economy, starting with the most essential businesses, and said he would order people to wear masks in public when a safe distance from others could not be maintained. Mourning a 'supermom': U.S. health worker casualties mount in virus fight

"Home soon," Madhvi Aya texted from her hospital bed. "Love you." It was the last exchange she had with her only daughter, 18-year-old Minnoli. Three days later, Madhvi Aya died of COVID-19.