Reuters Health News Summary

Following is a summary of current health news briefs. Exclusive: Research finds concerning drop in U.S. colorectal cancer screenings and surgeries

New diagnoses of one of the deadliest cancers fell by one-third in March and April as U.S. physicians and patients halted appointments and screenings during the COVID-19 outbreak. Research by the health data firm Komodo Health and exclusively shared with Reuters found new colorectal cancer diagnoses declined more than 32%, while the number of performed colonoscopies and biopsies fell by nearly 90% from mid-March to mid-April, compared with the same period last year. Colorectal cancer surgeries were down by 53%. South Korea examines first suspected cases of syndrome in kids linked to COVID-19

Two children who are the first suspected cases in South Korea of a rare, life-threatening syndrome linked with the new coronavirus, are recovering following treatment, health authorities said on Wednesday. The symptoms of "Multi-System Inflammatory Syndrome in Children" (MIS-C) are similar to toxic shock and Kawasaki disease, and include fever, rashes, swollen glands and, in severe cases, heart inflammation. Novavax buys Praha Vaccines for $167 million to boost COVID-19 vaccine production

Drug developer Novavax Inc on Wednesday acquired Praha Vaccines, a unit of India's Cyrus Poonawalla Group, for about $167 million as it looks to boost capacity to produce its COVID-19 vaccine candidate. The acquisition includes a biologics manufacturing facility in Czech Republic, the company said, adding that the facility is expected to provide an annual capacity of over 1 billion doses of antigen starting in 2021 for its COVID-19 vaccine candidate, NVX-CoV2373. Fears of coronavirus second wave prompt flu push at U.S. pharmacies, drugmakers

U.S. pharmacy chains are preparing a big push for flu vaccinations when the season kicks off in October, hoping to curb tens of thousands of serious cases that could coincide with a second wave of coronavirus infections. CVS Health Corp , one of the largest U.S. pharmacies, said it is working to ensure it has vaccine doses available for an anticipated surge in customers seeking shots to protect against seasonal influenza. What you need to know about the coronavirus right now

Here's what you need to know about the coronavirus right now: France bans hydroxychloroquine Antibody drug tech firm AbCellera raises $105 million as it works on COVID-19

Canadian drug discovery technology company AbCellera, which analyzes and identifies antibodies for pharmaceutical companies working on a coronavirus treatment and other medicines, said on Wednesday it had raised $105 million in funds. AbCellera has been working with pharmaceutical firm Eli Lilly and Co which is developing a coronavirus drug based on antibodies from patients that have recovered from the disease. France bans hydroxychloroquine to treat COVID-19 amid safety concerns

The French government on Wednesday cancelled a decree allowing hospital doctors to administer hydroxychloroquine as a treatment to patients suffering severe forms of COVID-19, the illness caused by the new coronavirus. The move, which takes immediate effect, is the first by a country since the World Health Organization said on Monday it was pausing a large trial of the malaria drug on COVID-19 patients due to safety concerns. Drugmaker Sanofi to raise over $11 billion via sale of Regeneron shares

Sanofi will raise over $11 billion from the sale of 21.6 million shares in its U.S. partner Regeneron, the French drugmaker said on Wednesday, adding it would use the proceeds for innovation and general growth. Earlier this week, Regeneron had said it would repurchase about $5 billion of its shares directly from Sanofi, without altering their over-a-decade-long partnership. 'No masks, no gloves': Kenyan government under fire over quarantine centres

Kenya's government is facing growing criticism over quarantine centres it set up to curb the spread of the coronavirus, with witnesses saying some are squalid and expose residents to the risk of catching COVID-19. Since mid-March, the government has enforced a mandatory 14-day quarantine period for anyone who flies into the country or has direct contact with someone infected and lives in an area where self-isolation is not allowed. Kenya rolls out testing in Nairobi slums, but some fear stigma

Kenya is rolling out voluntary public testing for the novel coronavirus in its biggest slum, where some residents say being declared virus-free boosts their chances of getting a job. "Nowadays when you look for work, they first ask to see your results first," Shadrack Jumba, a resident of Kibera, located in Nairobi's southwest, told Reuters as health workers took samples from people on Tuesday.