Health News Roundup: UK's COVID-19 death toll tops 40,000; Moderna's potential coronavirus vaccine gains FDA's 'fast track' status and more

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

UK's COVID-19 death toll tops 40,000, worst in Europe

The United Kingdom's COVID-19 death toll now exceeds 40,000, by far the worst yet reported in Europe, raising more questions about Prime Minister Boris Johnson's handling of the coronavirus crisis. Figures published by the Office for National Statistics for England and Wales brought the United Kingdom's official death toll to 38,289 as of May 3, according to a Reuters tally of death registrations that also includes Scotland and Northern Ireland.

Moderna's potential coronavirus vaccine gains FDA's 'fast track' status

Moderna Inc said on Tuesday the U.S. Food and Drug Administration granted "fast track" designation to its experimental coronavirus vaccine, a move that speeds up the regulatory review process. Moderna has been racing to develop a safe and effective vaccine against the novel coronavirus that has killed more than 285,000 people globally.

French coronavirus death toll overtakes Spain's, now world's 4th largest

France's death toll from the coronavirus rose by 348 to 26,991 on Tuesday, overtaking Spain to become the country with the world's fourth-highest number of fatalities after the United States, Britain, and Italy. Official data had shown France's coronavirus casualty rate trailing Spain's closely for several weeks, with both countries' tolls above 22,000 since April 24 and Spain's less than 100 more than France's over several days last week.

WHO sees 'potentially positive data' in treating coronavirus

The World Health Organization said on Tuesday that some treatments appear to be limiting the severity or length of the COVID-19 disease and that it was focusing on learning more about four or five of the most promising ones. The Geneva-based WHO is leading a global initiative to develop safe and effective vaccines, tests and drugs to prevent, diagnose and treat COVID-19. The respiratory illness has infected 4.19 million people around the world, according to a Reuters tally.

Greece reports two COVID-19 cases among quarantined Lesbos migrants

Two migrants who arrived on Greece's outlying Lesbos island have tested positive for the novel coronavirus, migration ministry sources said on Tuesday, adding they were isolated with no contact with refugee camps on the island. The individuals had arrived on Lesbos on May 6. Since March 1 anyone arriving on the island has been placed in quarantine at a separate facility with no contact with larger groups of asylum seekers at other facilities on the island, the sources added.

Germany's coronavirus reproduction rate dips below critical threshold

The reproduction rate for the coronavirus pandemic in Germany fell below the critical threshold of 1 to an estimated 0.94 on Tuesday after a 1.07 reading on Monday, the Robert Koch Institute for public health and disease control said. The so-called 'R' number indicates that 100 infected people would infect 94 others on average in the latest 24-hour period, meaning the number of new infections was slowing after accelerating at the beginning of the week.

Russia examines ventilator type sent to U.S. after fires kill six

Moscow has begun investigating the safety of a Russian-made medical ventilator, some of which have been sent to the United States after six people died in hospital fires reported to involve two such machines. Five people died at Saint George's Hospital in St Petersburg on Tuesday - including four in a coronavirus intensive care unit, according to a local lawyer. A source told the TASS news agency that the blaze erupted after a ventilator - used to help severely ill COVID-19 patients breathe - burst into flames in the ward.

Canada coronavirus death toll passes 5,000, Trudeau wants seniors' care reform

The Canadian coronavirus death toll passed the 5,000 marks on Tuesday and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said major reforms were needed for seniors' residences, where more than 80% of the victims lived. The public health agency said the number of deaths edged up by 2.9% to 5,049, from 4,906 on Monday, one of the smallest daily gains so far. Canada is the 11th nation to record more than 5,000 deaths.

Albania, once haven of illicit cannabis, set to legalize crop for medical use

Albania plans to legalize the cultivation of cannabis for medical purposes, six years after beginning a crackdown on an illegal trade that turned it, by some accounts, into Europe's largest outdoor grower of cannabis. Prime Minister Edi Rama said the time was ripe for one of Europe's poorest countries to enter the lucrative market, emulating its neighbors North Macedonia, Greece, and Italy - the latter a destination of tonnes of cannabis from Albania in 2015 and 2016.

Exclusive: UK coronavirus outbreak kills at least 20,000 in care homes - Reuters calculation

At least 20,000 people have died in care homes in England and Wales as a consequence of the coronavirus pandemic, according to Reuters calculations based on official data. In the eight weeks to May 1, there were 37,627 people who died in care homes of all causes in England and Wales, according to data from the Office of National Statistics (ONS).