Reuters Health News Summary

Following is a summary of current health news briefs. UK researchers try to crack genetic riddle of COVID-19

British researchers will study the genes of thousands of ill COVID-19 patients to try to crack one of the most puzzling riddles of the novel coronavirus: why does it kill some people but give others not even a mild headache? Researchers from across the United Kingdom will sequence the genetic code of people who fell critically ill with COVID-19 and compare their genomes with those who were mildly ill or not ill at all. Seven new coronavirus cases in mainland China on May 12, up from one a day earlier

China reported seven new coronavirus infections on the mainland on May 12, versus one a day earlier, the national health authority said on Wednesday, with six local cases in northeastern Jilin province and one imported case in Shanghai. Jilin has emerged as the source of a potential new wave of infections, with its city of Shulan forced to adjust the risk level to "high" from "medium" at the weekend. Researchers revise U.S. COVID-19 death forecast upward again

A newly revised coronavirus mortality model predicts more than 147,000 Americans will die from COVID-19 by early August, up nearly 10,000 from the last projection, as restrictions for curbing the pandemic are relaxed, researchers said on Tuesday. The latest forecast http://www.healthdata.org/covid/updates from the University of Washington's Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) reflects "key drivers of viral transmission like changes in testing and mobility, as well as easing of distancing policies," the report said. Mexico sees 353 deaths in most lethal coronavirus day: health ministry

Mexico's health ministry confirmed 1,997 new cases of coronavirus infections on Tuesday, along with 353 additional deaths, the most deadly day since the pandemic began. The new infections brought confirmed coronavirus cases to 38,324 and 3,926 deaths in total, according to the official tally. 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. Germany's confirmed coronavirus cases rise by 798 to 171,306: RKI

The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Germany increased by 798 to 171,306, data from the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) for infectious diseases showed on Wednesday. The reported death toll rose by 101 to 7,634, the tally showed. 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. A tale of two Japanese drugs in tests to fight COVID-19

In the global hunt for coronavirus treatments, a Japanese antiviral medicine known as Avigan has won plaudits from Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and $128 million in government funding. But it's not the only game in town. 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 though not used, 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. CDC reports 1,342,594 coronavirus cases, 80,820 deaths

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Tuesday reported 1,342,594 cases of the new coronavirus, an increase of 18,106 cases from its previous count, and said that the number of deaths had risen by 1,064 to 80,820. The CDC reported its tally of cases of the respiratory illness known as COVID-19, caused by the new coronavirus, as of 4 p.m. ET on May 11, compared with its count a day earlier. (https://bit.ly/2SGLijD)