Reuters Health News Summary

Following is a summary of current health news briefs. Exclusive: In Russia, a black market for HIV drug to try on coronavirus

A black market has developed in Russia for an antiviral HIV drug explored as a possible treatment for COVID-19, the respiratory disease caused by the new coronavirus, according to sellers, HIV activists and the head of the drug's main Russian producer. More than 20 trials around the world are testing Kaletra as a COVID-19 treatment or post-exposure prophylaxis. Spain's confirmed coronavirus cases surpass 200,000: health ministry

The number of people diagnosed with the new coronavirus in Spain has surpassed the 200,000 threshold, the country's health ministry said on Monday. The ministry said the number of cases rose to 200,210 from 195,944 cases on Sunday. Spain has the second highest number of diagnosed cases in the world after the United States, according to Reuters data. Novartis, U.S. drug regulator agree to malaria drug trial against COVID-19

Novartis has won the go-ahead from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to conduct a randomized trial of malaria drug hydroxychloroquine against COVID-19 disease, the Swiss drugmaker said on Monday, to see if it helps patients. The decades-old generic medicine got FDA emergency use authorization this month for its unapproved use for coronavirus disease, but so far there is no scientific proof it works. There are currently no approved COVID-19 medicines. IDEXX Labs launches COVID-19 test for pets amid rare cases of human-to-pet transmission

IDEXX Laboratories Inc said on Monday it would provide veterinarians a COVID-19 test for pets amid evidence that infected humans could transmit the virus to their pets. The company advised that veterinarians order the test after consulting a public health authority and only if other common infections have been ruled out in pets showing symptoms and those that have been living in a household with an infected person. What you need to know about the coronavirus right now

Here's what you need to know about the coronavirus right now: Lockdown hawks and doves Russia's Putin says peak of coronavirus crisis is ahead

President Vladimir Putin said on Monday that Russia had managed to curb the coronavirus crisis but the peak of the outbreak still lay ahead. The number of Russian confirmed coronavirus cases surpassed 47,000 on Monday with a death toll of 405. Alexion to study rare blood-disorder drug in severe COVID-19 patients

Alexion Pharmaceuticals Inc said on Monday it would start a late-stage study of its rare blood-disorder drug, Ultomiris, in COVID-19 patients hospitalized with severe pneumonia or acute respiratory distress syndrome. The study is expected to enroll about 270 patients across countries, Alexion said. China calls for stronger testing regime to detect coronavirus

China's health authority called for a stronger and more rigorous testing regime to ensure that the new coronavirus does not escape detection, whether in travellers arriving from abroad or from other parts of the country. All localities must improve their testing capabilities, including those at border crossings, and report any epidemic information in a timely manner, the National Health Commission cited its director Ma Xiaowei as saying. Ma made the comments on Saturday, but they were released by the ministry on Monday. UK's main concern is to prevent second coronavirus wave: PM's spokesman

Britain needs to be sure that any lifting or easing of social distancing measures does not lead to a second wave of the coronavirus outbreak, a spokesman for Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Monday. "The big concern is a second peak, that is what ultimately will do the most damage to health and the most damage to the economy," the spokesman told reporters. More U.S. protests call for lifting coronavirus restrictions as governors push back

Protests flared in U.S. states on Sunday over stay-at-home orders while governors disputed President Donald Trump's claims they have enough tests for the novel coronavirus and should quickly reopen their economies. An estimated 2,500 people rallied at the Washington state capitol in Olympia to protest Democratic Governor Jay Inslee’s stay-at-home order, defying a ban on gatherings of 50 or more people.