Health News Roundup: Malaysia to step up coronavirus tests; Biogen joins consortium for building COVID-19 'biobank' and more

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

How coronavirus hitched a ride through China

As residents of China's Wuhan began leaving for the first time last week, a Reuters analysis of official statements, data, and residents' accounts reveals how the coronavirus took hold and spread to more than 25 areas of the country before a Jan. 23 lockdowns of the city.

Why are some South Koreans who recovered from the coronavirus testing positive again?

South Korean health officials are investigating several possible explanations for a small but growing number of recovered coronavirus patients who later test positive for the virus again. Among the main possibilities are re-infection, a relapse, or inconsistent tests, experts say.

Hazmats and home deliveries: how one Iberian ham producer is countering coronavirus

Having lived through animal-related influenzas like SARS and H1N1, Iberian ham producer Joselito was quick to enhance quality controls with tougher sanitary measures when the coronavirus hit. But the near-total paralysis of its European exports, and the nationwide shutdown of its main client base - Spain's restaurants, bars, and hotels - still came as a huge shock.

Sanofi teams up with U.S. firm Luminostics on developing COVID-19 testing app

French healthcare company Sanofi and U.S. start-up technology company Luminostics said they were joining up to work on developing a smartphone-based self-testing solution to see if someone has the COVID-19 coronavirus. Luminostics would contribute its proprietary technology forconsumer-diagnostics for COVID-19 testing while Sanofi would bring its clinical research testing experience and capabilities, the companies said in a joint statement on Thursday.

Malaysia to step up coronavirus tests with Korean antigen rapid kits

Malaysia has approved the use of antigen rapid test kits from South Korea, as it looks to increase its coronavirus testing among high-risk groups and in places where clusters are detected, a health official said on Thursday. Southeast Asia's third-largest economy said last month it was considering buying 1 million rapid antigen test kits from South Korea in an effort to screen more people for the virus.

Biogen joins consortium for building COVID-19 'biobank'

Biogen Inc said on Thursday it had joined a consortium to build a collection of biological and medical data, where its employees who had tested for and recovered from the coronavirus would be able to participate. Several employees of the U.S. drugmaker had tested positive for the novel coronavirus after an internal company meeting in Boston earlier this year.

Austria plans to test all retirement home residents for coronavirus

Austria, one of the more successful countries in Europe at flattening the curve of coronavirus infections, plans to test every retirement home resident as it expands efforts to measure the pandemic's spread, its health minister said on Thursday. The Alpine republic acted early in its outbreak to shut schools, bars, restaurants, non-essential shops and other gathering places roughly four weeks ago. It has told the public to stay at home and work from there if possible.

Spanish deaths from coronavirus exceed 19,000

Spain on Thursday reported a rise in its national toll of deaths from the coronavirus in the past day, but figures from the region of Catalonia indicated the real total so far could be several thousand more. The number of people infected also rose, although health emergency chief Fernando Simon said this was due to increased testing and that most concerned people with mild or no symptoms.

Dutch coronavirus cases rise by 1,061 to 29,214: authorities

The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in the Netherlands rose by 1,061 to 29,214, health authorities said on Thursday, with 181 new deaths. The total death toll in the country is 3,315, the Netherlands' Institute for Public Health (RIVM) said in its daily update.

Russia will accept ventilators from United States if needed: Kremlin

Russia would accept a "kind offer" by U.S. President Donald Trump to ship ventilators to the country if it felt it needed them to treat people sick with the novel coronavirus, the Kremlin said on Thursday. Russia, which has so far recorded 27,938 cases and 232 coronavirus-related deaths, shipped ventilators and protective gear this month to the United States after a phone call between Trump and President Vladimir Putin.