Health News Roundup: A black market for HIV drug In Russia; CDC reports 746,625 coronavirus cases, 39,083 deaths and more

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.

CDC reports 746,625 coronavirus cases, 39,083 deaths

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Monday reported 746,625 cases of the coronavirus and said the number of deaths had risen to 39,083. Over the weekend, the CDC updated its case count to 720,630 and said 37,202 people had died across the country, but that the numbers were preliminary and had not been confirmed by individual states.

Remember the flu? Coronavirus sent it into hiding, but at a cost

At least one victim of the coronavirus pandemic will not be mourned. Influenza, which each year kills hundreds of thousands of people worldwide, all but vanished in Europe last month as coronavirus lockdowns slowed transmission, according to EU data and scientists.

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 thresholds, 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.

Nothing hidden from member states, CDC experts on board: WHO chief

The head of the World Health Organization said on Monday that nothing in its coronavirus response had been "hidden" from the United States, as senior officials said U.S. technical experts had been an important part of the WHO's effort. The comments appeared to be a rejoinder to U.S. President Donald Trump, who has criticized WHO's handling of the pandemic, accusing it of promoting Chinese "disinformation", and suspended U.S. funding last week.

New York nurses sue state, two hospitals over 'inadequate' coronavirus protection

The New York State Nurses Association sued the state and two hospitals on Monday to force them to provide safety equipment and adopt measures to prevent COVID-19 from spreading among its members, highlighting the growing disputes over workplace safety during the coronavirus pandemic. The association sued the New York Department of Health, Montefiore Medical Center and the parent company of the Westchester Medical Center. The nurses asked judges to order the defendants to provide masks and other protection to nurses.

Turkey's coronavirus death toll rises by 123 to 2,140: minister

Turkey's confirmed cases of the COVID-19 disease increased by 4,674 in the past 24 hours, and 123 more people have died, taking the death toll to 2,140, Health Minister Fahrettin Koca said on Monday. The total number of cases in the country stood at 90,980, he said, the highest total for any country outside Europe or the United States. A total of 13,430 people have recovered from the new coronavirus so far, and the number of tests carried out over the past 24 hours stood at 39,703, the minister said.

Italy's coronavirus death toll edges up, new cases fall sharply

Deaths from the COVID-19 epidemic in Italy rose by 454 on Monday, slightly up on Sunday's tally, while the number of new cases dropped to 2,256, the lowest level in well over a month, the Civil Protection Agency said. The total death toll stood at 24,114, the second highest in the world after that of the United States, while the number of confirmed cases, which includes those who have fully recovered and those who have died of the disease, was 181,228.

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 travelers 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.

Bristol Myers says Opdivo performs well in kidney, lung cancer trials

Bristol Myers Squibb Co said on Monday that its blockbuster cancer immunotherapy Opdivo performed well in two separate late-stage trials, prolonging survival in previously untreated patients with kidney cancer and lung cancer. Opdivo is one of Bristol's top-selling drugs, but sales of the drug have slowed in recent years as it has been eclipsed by Merck & Co's rival drug Keytruda.