Health News Roundup: U.S. CDC reports 1,862,656 coronavirus cases; Brazil reports 1,005 additional coronavirus deaths on Friday and more

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

Gargling with bleach? Americans misusing disinfectants to prevent coronavirus, survey finds

More than a third of Americans misused cleaners and disinfectants to try to prevent infection by the coronavirus, according to a survey taken shortly after President Donald Trump publicly asked whether injecting such products could treat COVID-19. Washing food with bleach, using household cleaning or disinfectant products on bare skin, and intentionally inhaling or ingesting these products were some of the most commonly reported "high-risk" practices in a May 4 online survey of 502 U.S. adults, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported.

UK government orders expanded use of face masks in English hospitals

All visitors to hospitals in England will be required to wear face coverings and all hospital staff must wear surgical masks from June 15, health minister Matt Hancock said on Friday. The announcement comes a day after the government said it would make face coverings mandatory on public transport.

AstraZeneca blood cancer drug shows signs of helping COVID-19 patients

AstraZeneca's cancer drug Calquence has shown initial signs of helping hospitalised COVID-19 patients get through the worst of the disease, as researchers scramble to repurpose existing treatments to help fight the deadly infection. Results from the preliminary research involving 19 patients, which was backed by the United States National Institutes of Health, encouraged the British drugmaker to explore the drug's new use in a wider clinical trial announced in April.

U.S. CDC reports 1,862,656 coronavirus cases

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Friday reported 1,862,656 cases of the new coronavirus, an increase of 20,555 cases from its previous count, and said that the number of deaths had risen by 1,035 to 108,064. 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 June 4 versus its previous report released on Thursday. 

China reports three new COVID-19 cases, two asymptomatic cases

China recorded three new confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus as of the end of Friday, down from five the day before, the national health authority reported. All of the cases were imported, involving travelers arriving from abroad, the National Health Commission (NHC) said on its website.

'It's not over': COVID-19 cases rise in some nations easing lockdowns: WHO

Some countries have seen "upticks" in COVID-19 cases as lockdowns ease, and populations must protect themselves from the coronavirus while authorities continue testing, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Friday. The epicenter of the pandemic is currently in countries of Central, South, and North America, particularly the United States, WHO spokeswoman Margaret Harris said.

Brazil reports 1,005 additional coronavirus deaths on Friday

Brazil reported an additional 1,005 novel coronavirus deaths and 30,830 new cases over the last 24 hours, data released by the health ministry showed on Friday night. The Latin American nation has now registered 35,026 total coronavirus deaths and 645,771 confirmed cases.

Mexico reports 4,346 new coronavirus cases, 625 deaths

Mexico's health ministry reported on Friday an additional 4,346 cases of the novel coronavirus in the country as well as 625 new deaths, bringing the country's confirmed total to 110,026 cases and 13,170 deaths.

Germany's confirmed coronavirus cases rise by 407 to 183,678: RKI

The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Germany increased by 407 to 183,678, data from the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) for infectious diseases showed on Friday. The reported death toll rose by 33 to 8,646, the tally showed.

WHO continues hydroxychloroquine trial after UK test halts

The World Health Organization is continuing its clinical trial of hydroxychloroquine after British scientists halted a large trial that had been exploring the use of the drug to treat patients with COVID-19 when initial results showed no evidence of benefit. "There are two distinct trials with their own protocols, their own oversight committees. Therefore we will continue for now," Soumya Swaminathan, the WHO's chief scientist, told an online news briefing when asked about the British trial halt.

(With inputs from agencies.)