Reuters Health News Summary

Following is a summary of current health news briefs. U.S. CDC reports 895,766 coronavirus cases, 50,439 deaths

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Saturday reported 895,766 cases of new coronavirus, an increase of 30,181 cases from its previous count, and said that the number of deaths had risen by 1,623 to 50,439. The CDC reported its tally of cases of the respiratory illness known as COVID-19, caused by a new coronavirus, as of 4 pm ET on April 24, compared with its count a day earlier. (https://bit.ly/2IVY1JT) Prescriptions for two malaria drugs surged after Trump's praise as COVID-19 treatment: NYT

Prescriptions for two malaria drugs surged by more than 46 times on the day that U.S. President Donald Trump touted his opinion about their effectiveness in the coronavirus fight during a March briefing, the New York Times reported on Saturday. https://nyti.ms/2S9W1D3 “I think it could be something really incredible,” Trump said on March 19, adding that the two drugs had shown “very, very encouraging results” in treating the virus but that more study was needed, the report quoted Trump as saying. Britain passes 'terrible' milestone of 20,000 coronavirus deaths

Britain's COVID-19 death toll passed 20,000 on Saturday in what the interior minister called "a tragic and terrible milestone" as she urged people to stay at home. The government is facing growing criticism over its response to the new coronavirus pandemic as the death toll rises. Britain was slower to impose a lockdown than European peers and is struggling to raise its testing capacity. Spain to allow outdoor exercise as kids prepare for taste of freedom

Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez announced an easing of lockdown restrictions on Saturday, as children prepared to go outside for the first time in six weeks and figures confirmed a daily coronavirus death toll running well below the peak seen early this month. In a televised address Sanchez said Spaniards will be allowed out to exercise alone from May 2 if the coronavirus toll continues to fall. People living together will be permitted to take short walks together. France's coronavirus death toll rises by 369 to 22,614

The death toll in France from the coronavirus has risen by 369 to stand at 22,614, the health ministry said on Saturday, as the government scrutinises data to see how it might ease a lockdown in place since mid-March. The ministry said 124 patients were admitted to intensive care units over the last 24 hours although the daily death toll from COVID-19 has fallen steadily over the past two weeks. New York to expand coronavirus testing at pharmacies: governor

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said on Saturday that he would allow independent pharmacists to collect samples to test for the novel coronavirus and would expand screening for antibodies, starting with first responders and other essential workers. Cuomo also told a daily briefing that hospitalizations across his state for COVID-19, the disease caused by the virus, had fallen to same level as 21 days ago, the latest sign the crisis was subsiding. Global coronavirus death toll hits 200,000

Global deaths linked to the coronavirus passed 200,000 on Saturday, while confirmed cases of the virus are expected to hit 3 million in coming days, according to a Reuters tally. More than half of the fatalities have been reported by the United States, Spain and Italy. Special Report: Countries, companies risk billions in race for coronavirus vaccine

In the race to develop a vaccine to end the COVID-19 pandemic, governments, charities and Big Pharma firms are sinking billions of dollars into bets with extraordinarily low odds of success. They’re fast-tracking the testing and regulatory review of vaccines with no guarantee they will prove effective. They’re building and re-tooling plants for vaccines with slim chances of being approved. They’re placing orders for vaccines that, in the end, are unlikely to be produced. "No evidence" that recovered COVID-19 patients cannot be reinfected: WHO

The World Health Organization (WHO) said on Saturday that there was currently "no evidence" that people who have recovered from COVID-19 and have antibodies are protected from a second coronavirus infection. In a scientific brief, the United Nations agency warned governments against issuing "immunity passports" or "risk-free certificates" to people who have been infected as their accuracy could not be guaranteed. Rouhani says Iran should assume worst-case coronavirus scenario

Iran should draw up economic plans based on a worst-case scenario of nearly a year of disruptions due to the coronavirus, President Hassan Rouhani said on Saturday, as the death toll from the disease rose by 76 to 5,650. "Our first request is that we should plan production long-term based on a pessimistic view that we might face this virus ... for months," Rouhani said in a meeting with heads of Iranian private companies carried live on state TV.