Health News Roundup: U.S. FDA approves GSK unit's drug; U.S. CDC reports 2,016,027 coronavirus cases and more

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 11 versus its previous report on Thursday.(https://bit.ly/3cUcwKI) Coronavirus hitting the Americas hardest says World Health Organization The Americas are bearing the brunt of the global coronavirus pandemic at present, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Friday, with North and South America currently having four of the 10 worst hit countries in the world.

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

As Brazil's COVID-19 deaths surge, WHO says hospital system coping

Brazil's COVID-19 death toll is on track to overtake Britain on Friday to become the second-highest in the world with over 40,000 dead, but the World Health Organization said the nation's health system was standing up to the pressure. "The system as such from the data we see is not overwhelmed," the WHO's top emergency expert Dr. Mike Ryan said, with few areas of Brazil using more than 80% of their hospitals' intensive care bed capacity.

U.S. officials reiterate COVID-19 safety advice, warn of more restrictions if cases spike

U.S. health officials on Friday urged Americans to continue adhering to social distancing and other COVID-19 safety measures following rising concerns among experts that the reopening of the country's economy could lead to a fresh wave of infections. Officials from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said that states may need to reimpose strict restrictions if COVID-19 cases spike.

U.S. FDA approves GSK unit's drug to treat infants and children with HIV

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved a drug to treat infants and children with HIV, with the drug having been developed by drugmaker GlaxoSmithKline's HIV drugs division ViiV Healthcare, the FDA and the GSK unit said. The FDA said on Friday it was granting Viiv the approval of Tivicay and Tivicay PD tablets "for the suspension to treat HIV-1 infection in pediatric patients at least four weeks old and weighing at least 3 kgs in combination with other antiretroviral treatments".

U.S. government to send nearly 100 million face coverings for transit passengers

The U.S. Department of Transportation unveiled plans on Friday to send nearly 100 million face coverings to airports, transit agencies, and U.S. passenger railroad service Amtrak over the coming weeks, in a bid to slow the spread of the coronavirus. The cloth coverings will be provided as a supplement for passengers, DOT said in a statement.

The virus has multiple pathways into cells, Moderna vaccine clears safety hurdle in mouse study

The following is a brief roundup of some of the latest scientific studies on the novel coronavirus and efforts to find treatments and vaccines for COVID-19, the illness caused by the virus. Coronavirus has more than one gateway into cells 'This is about livelihoods':

U.S. virus hotspots reopen despite second wave specter

Facing budget shortfalls and double-digit unemployment, governors of U.S. states that are COVID-19 hotspots on Thursday pressed ahead with economic reopenings that have raised fears of a second wave of infections. The moves by governors of states such as Florida and Arizona came as Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said the United States could not afford to let the novel coronavirus shut its economy again and global stocks tanked on worries of a pandemic resurgence.

U.S. CDC reports 2,016,027 coronavirus cases

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Friday reported 2,016,027 cases of new coronavirus, an increase of 21,744 cases from its previous count, and said the number of deaths had risen by 947 to 113,914. 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 11 versus its previous report on Thursday. (https://bit.ly/3cUcwKI)

Coronavirus hitting the Americas hardest says World Health Organization

The Americas are bearing the brunt of the global coronavirus pandemic at present, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Friday, with North and South America currently having four of the 10 worst-hit countries in the world. The disease was "highly active" in Central and South America, the WHO's top emergency expert Mike Ryan said, highlighting problems in Brazil and Mexico.

Young U.S. men having a lot less sex in the 21st century, study shows

Sexual activity among young American men has declined sharply since 2000, with nearly a third reporting no sex with a partner in the prior year, according to a survey study published on Friday that suggests social media and electronic gaming might be filling the void. The trend is concerning as sexual relationships are important for well-being and health, researchers note.

Moderna COVID-19 vaccine clears key safety hurdle in mouse study

A study of Moderna Inc's COVID-19 vaccine in mice lends some assurance that it will not increase the risk of more severe disease, and that one dose may provide protection against the novel coronavirus, according to preliminary data released on Friday. Prior studies on a vaccine for SARS - a close cousin to the new virus that causes COVID-19 - suggests vaccines against this type of virus might have the unintended effect of causing more severe disease when the vaccinated person is later exposed to the pathogen, especially in individuals who do not produce an adequately strong immune response.