Health News Roundup: Steroid drug hailed as 'breakthrough' for seriously ill COVID-19 patients; Honduran president says he is infected with coronavirus and more

Record spike in new coronavirus cases reported in six U.S. states as reopening accelerates New coronavirus infections hit record highs in six U.S. states on Tuesday, marking a rising tide of cases for a second consecutive week as most states moved forward with reopening their economies.

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

Record spike in new coronavirus cases reported in six U.S. states as reopening accelerates

New coronavirus infections hit record highs in six U.S. states on Tuesday, marking a rising tide of cases for a second consecutive week as most states moved forward with reopening their economies. Arizona, Florida, Oklahoma, Oregon, and Texas all reported record increases in new cases on Tuesday after recording all-time highs last week. Nevada also reported its highest single-day tally of new cases on Tuesday, up from a previous high on May 23. Hospitalizations are also rising or at record highs.

Beijing city reports 31 new coronavirus cases vs 27 a day earlier

Beijing's city government reported 31 new confirmed coronavirus cases as of end-June 16, up from 27 cases reported a day earlier as the city moves to curb the spread of the disease. The city's health authority said in a statement posted on its Weibo social media account that 19 of the new cases were reported in southwestern Fengtai district, where a cluster of infections emerged last week.

Show me the data: U.S. doctors skeptical of reported COVID breakthrough

The report on Tuesday of a powerful treatment for the new coronavirus brought skepticism along with optimism among U.S. doctors, who said the recent withdrawal of an influential COVID-19 study left them wanting to see more data. Global pressure to find a cure or vaccine has accelerated the process of reporting coronavirus study results, feeding confusion over whether therapies have been proven effective. One influential COVID study was withdrawn this month by respected British medical journal The Lancet over data concerns.

Steroid drug hailed as 'breakthrough' for seriously ill COVID-19 patients

A cheap and widely used steroid called dexamethasone has become the first drug shown to be able to save the lives of COVID-19 patients in what scientists said is a "major breakthrough" in the coronavirus pandemic. Trial results announced on Tuesday showed dexamethasone, which is used to reduce inflammation in other diseases such as arthritis, reduced death rates by around a third among the most severely ill COVID-19 patients admitted to hospital.

Thailand reports no new coronavirus cases or deaths

Thailand on Wednesday reported no new coronavirus infections or deaths, marking 23 successive days without a domestic transmission. The country has recorded a total of 58 deaths related to COVID-19 among 3,135 confirmed cases, of which 2,996 patients have recovered, said Taweesin Wisanuyothin, a spokesman for the government's COVID-19 Administration Centre.

Japanese researchers confirm coronavirus testing in sewers as possible outbreak warning system

Japanese researchers confirmed the presence of the coronavirus in wastewater plants, a finding that could serve as a signal for future outbreaks. The study tested water from four treatment plants in Ishikawa and Toyama prefectures in western Japan. Out of 27 samples, 7 were positive for the SARS-CoV2 virus, according to a preprint of a study by Toyama Prefectural University, Kanazawa University, and Kyoto University.

Germany's confirmed coronavirus cases rise by 345 to 187,184 - RKI

The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Germany increased by 345 to 187,184, data from the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) for infectious diseases showed on Wednesday. The reported death toll rose by 30 to 8,830, the tally showed.

Exclusive: CureVac becomes second company to test coronavirus vaccine in Germany - sources

The unlisted biotech firm CureVac will become the second company to launch human trials of an experimental coronavirus vaccine in Germany, two people familiar with the plans told Reuters on Tuesday. The clinical trial, to be announced on Wednesday, is the second to be approved by Germany's vaccines regulator, the Paul Ehrlich Institute, after a trial by BioNTech that began in April.

Honduran president says he is infected with coronavirus

Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernandez has been diagnosed with the coronavirus, is receiving treatment and will work remotely and through his aides, he said late on Tuesday. "As president of the nation and a responsible citizen, I want to communicate that during the weekend I started to feel some discomfort, and today I was diagnosed as having been infected with COVID-19," Hernandez said in a televised speech.

U.S. narrowing support to seven COVID-19 vaccine candidates, expects them to be free for many

The Trump administration aims to narrow its financial support to about seven experimental coronavirus vaccines from the 14 it has been working with so far, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) said on Tuesday. U.S. government officials also said that they expect many Americans to get an approved vaccine to prevent COVID-19 at no charge once it begins distribution, potentially in January.

(With inputs from agencies.)