Reuters Health News Summary

Following is a summary of current health news briefs. Most Americans would take coronavirus vaccine if deemed safe: Reuters/Ipsos poll

Three-quarters of Americans would take a coronavirus vaccine after receiving certain assurances that it was safe, and another 9% would take one as soon as it was available, a Reuters/Ipsos poll released Tuesday showed. The strong support for a vaccine comes as vocal anti-vaccination protesters joined right-leaning groups to protest shelter-at-home orders imposed by public health officials in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic in the United States. China reports two new coronavirus cases, 20 new asymptomatic cases

China reported 2 new coronavirus cases for May 5 and 20 new asymptomatic cases, data from the national health authority showed on Wednesday. This compared with 1 new coronavirus case and 15 new asymptomatic cases reported a day earlier. The two new cases were so-called imported cases involving travellers from overseas, compared with one such case a day earlier. Gilead in talks to expand global supply of COVID-19 drug remdesivir

Gilead Sciences Inc said on Tuesday it was in discussions with chemical and drug manufacturers to produce its experimental COVID-19 drug remdesivir for Europe, Asia and the developing world through at least 2022. The drugmaker did not disclose details about the companies. White House to wind down coronavirus task force as focus shifts to aftermath: Trump

The White House coronavirus task force will wind down as the country moves into a second phase that focuses on the aftermath of the outbreak, President Donald Trump said on Tuesday. Trump confirmed the plans after Vice President Mike Pence, who leads the group, told reporters the White House may start moving coordination of the U.S. response on to federal agencies in late May. Exclusive: Sanofi to enroll thousands for its coronavirus vaccine trials

French drugmaker Sanofi SA said it plans to enroll thousands of subjects globally for trials of an experimental vaccine for the coronavirus it is developing with GlaxoSmithKline Plc, and that it has started to discuss advanced purchases with several countries. Sanofi is working on two vaccine projects to prevent COVID-19 - the illness caused by the new coronavirus - and said it is exploring several manufacturing options, including fresh collaborations to ensure it can meet demand, if either program is successful. U.S. coronavirus deaths exceed 70,000 as forecasting models predict grim summer

U.S. deaths from the novel coronavirus surged past 70,000 on Tuesday, according to a Reuters tally, as a key forecasting model nearly doubled its previous estimate for fatalities. Nearly 1.2 million people in the United States have tested positive for COVID-19 - more than the combined total of the next largest outbreaks in Spain, Italy, the United Kingdom, France and Germany. Top Australian biotech firm CSL joins virus treatment race

Australia's biggest biotech company CSL Ltd said on Wednesday it will start trials for an antibody product to treat people with the new coronavirus, joining a global rush to find a cure for a fast-spreading and potentially fatal illness. CSL said in a statement it will test a blood plasma treatment for people with serious cases of the illness, formally called COVID-19, by collecting blood from people who have recovered from it and concentrating their virus-fighting antibodies. WHO urges countries to investigate early COVID-19 cases

The World Health Organization said on Tuesday that a report that COVID-19 had emerged in December in France, sooner than previously thought, was "not surprising", and urged countries to investigate any other early suspicious cases. The disease later identified as COVID-19 was first reported by Chinese authorities to the WHO on Dec. 31 and was not previously believed to have spread to Europe until January. Germany's confirmed coronavirus cases rise by 947 to 164,807: RKI

The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Germany increased by 947 to 164,807, data from the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) for infectious diseases showed on Wednesday. The reported death toll rose by 165 to 6,996, the tally showed. Mexico registers 1,120 new coronavirus cases, 236 deaths

Mexico registered 1,120 new cases of the novel coronavirus on Tuesday and 236 new deaths, a health official said, bringing the total in the country to 26,025 known cases and 2,507 deaths. However, Mexico has conducted a very low number of tests. The government said on Sunday that the real number of cases was above 104,000, according to a statistical model.