Health News Roundup: Gilead targets remdesivir supply for two million COVID-19 patients by year-end; Coronavirus cases soar in big countries, especially Brazil, WHO says and more

Brazilians flock to beach as WHO says country undercounting coronavirus surge Brazil reached more than a million confirmed coronavirus cases and 50,000 deaths over the weekend as throngs of people swarmed Rio de Janeiro beaches, but the World Health Organization said on Monday that even more cases were likely going uncounted.

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

Brazilians flock to beach as WHO says country undercounting coronavirus surge

Brazil reached more than a million confirmed coronavirus cases and 50,000 deaths over the weekend as throngs of people swarmed Rio de Janeiro beaches, but the World Health Organization said on Monday that even more cases were likely going uncounted. On Sunday, swimmers and sunbathers packed Rio's famous beaches, with many neither wearing masks nor respecting the WHO's guidance to maintain 1 meter, or 3 feet, of the distance between people.

Gilead targets remdesivir supply for two million COVID-19 patients by year-end

Gilead Sciences Inc said on Monday it expects to be able to supply enough of its antiviral drug remdesivir by year-end to treat more than 2 million COVID-19 patients, more than double its previous target of 1 million. The company also said it hoped to start trials in August of an easier-to-use inhaled version of the medicine, currently administered only intravenously.

Coronavirus cases soar in big countries, especially Brazil, WHO says

Coronavirus cases are soaring in several major countries at the same time, with "worrying increases" in Latin America, especially Brazil, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Monday. The world recorded more than 183,000 new coronavirus cases on Sunday, the most in a single day since the outbreak started in December, WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said.

Black Americans hospitalized for COVID-19 at four times the rate of whites, Medicare data shows

Black Americans enrolled in Medicare were around four times as likely as their white counterparts to be hospitalized for COVID-19, U.S. government data released on Monday showed, highlighting significant racial disparities in health outcomes during the pandemic. "The disparities in the data reflect longstanding challenges facing minority communities and low income older adults," said Seema Verma, administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), which released the data.

Traffic jams signal return to normal in New York but COVID-19 cases jump elsewhere

New York City residents, gradually emerging from more than 100 days of coronavirus lockdown, celebrated an easing of social-distancing restrictions on Monday by shopping at reopened stores, dining at outdoor cafes, and getting their first haircuts in months. But even as New Yorkers, confined for weeks at the epicenter of the global pandemic, returned to some semblance of normalcy, alarming spikes in coronavirus infection rates elsewhere around the country worried public health experts.

U.S. emergency visits due to heart attacks fell during early days of COVID-19

Fewer Americans were admitted to emergency departments with life-threatening conditions such as heart attacks during the initial months of the COVID-19 pandemic, U.S. researchers said on Monday. The study suggests that patients may be delaying or avoiding seeking care because of fear of COVID-19, researchers from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said.

Thailand reports five new coronavirus cases, all imported

Thailand on Tuesday reported five new coronavirus cases, all imported, marking 29 days without local transmission, a senior official said.The five new cases were Thai nationals returning from Egypt and Qatar, who were in quarantine, said Panprapa Yongtrakul, a spokeswoman for the government's COVID-19 Administration Centre. Thailand has recorded 58 deaths related to COVID-19, with 3,156 infections. Up to now, 3,023 patients have recovered.

China reports 22 new coronavirus cases, 13 in Beijing

China reported 22 new coronavirus cases for June 22, 13 of which were in the capital Beijing, the National Health Commission said on Tuesday. This compared with 18 confirmed cases a day earlier, 9 of which were in Beijing. Authorities are restricting the movement of people in the capital and stepping up other measures to prevent the virus from spreading following a series of local infections.

U.S. court blocks California cancer label on Bayer's Roundup weed killer

A U.S. federal appeals court on Monday blocked California from requiring that Bayer AG label its glyphosate-based weed killer Roundup with a cancer warning, handing the company a victory in its ongoing litigation over the product. In his ruling, U.S. District Judge William Shubb called California's cancer warning misleading and said the state's label is not backed up by regulatory findings.

Germany's confirmed coronavirus cases rise by 503 to 190,862, RKI says

The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Germany rose by 503 to 190,862, data from the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) for infectious diseases showed on Tuesday. The reported death toll rose by 10 to 8,895, the tally showed.

(With inputs from agencies.)