Health News Roundup: Oxford to study anti-inflammatory drug Humira as potential COVID-19 treatment; What you need to know about the coronavirus right now and more

Oxford to study anti-inflammatory drug Humira as potential COVID-19 treatment Oxford University said on Wednesday it would study whether the world's best-selling prescription medicine, adalimumab, was an effective treatment for COVID-19 patients - the latest effort to repurpose existing drugs as potential coronavirus therapies.

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

French plant-based protein maker Roquette sees short-term COVID-19 impact

The plant-based protein market has seen a slowdown in new product launches and lower sales in restaurants and cafeterias due to COVID-19 but benefited from more people cooking at home and trying new products, French manufacturer Roquette said. The market for plant-based protein such as meat-free burgers has surged in the past few years, attracting major investment from global agrifood groups, including Archer Daniels Midland , Cargill and Nestle, hoping to capitalise on a trend towards healthy eating generally, including less red meat.

Germany finds two more swine fever cases, one in new area

Two more cases of African swine fever (ASF) have been confirmed in wild boars in the eastern German state of Brandenburg, with one found outside the area of the first discoveries, the federal agriculture ministry said on Wednesday. One new discovery was confirmed in the Maerkisch-Oderland district in Brandenburg outside of the area further south where the first cases were found, the ministry said. The sites are about 60 kilometres apart.

Oxford to study anti-inflammatory drug Humira as potential COVID-19 treatment

Oxford University said on Wednesday it would study whether the world's best-selling prescription medicine, adalimumab, was an effective treatment for COVID-19 patients - the latest effort to repurpose existing drugs as potential coronavirus therapies. Adalimumab, which is sold under the brand name Humira by AbbVie , is a type of anti-inflammatory known as an anti-tumour necrosis factor (anti-TNF) drug. Recent studies have shown that COVID-19 patients already taking anti-TNF drugs for inflammatory bowel disease and inflammatory arthritis are less likely to be admitted to hospital, Oxford said in a statement.

'God chose me': Congo Ebola survivor finds new purpose

For Esperance Nyabintu, catching Ebola was a curse and a gift from God. A year ago the virus killed her husband. Most of her neighbours, friends and family abandoned her, such is the social stigma of surviving the disease. Undaunted by the challenge of bringing up 10 children alone, she has become a social worker, supporting other ostracised survivors like herself in the east of Democratic Republic of Congo.

What you need to know about the coronavirus right now

Here's what you need to know about the coronavirus right now: Vaccine hopes Romania's coronavirus spike exceeds 2,000 new daily cases

The number of new coronavirus infections in Romania rose by a record 2,158 in the past 24 hours, the government said on Wednesday as cases surged across central Europe. The European Union state has confirmed 127,572 cases including 4,825 deaths since the pandemic hit in late February, the highest fatality rate in the EU's eastern wing, and the government has extended a state of alert until mid-October.

Pakistani doctor urges people to volunteer for COVID-19 vaccine trial

The physician heading a Phase III clinical trial in Pakistan for a Chinese COVID-19 vaccine candidate has urged people to volunteer for the trial, overcoming the resistance in the country to immunisation programmes. Pakistan launched the trial last week for Ad5-nCoV, a vaccine candidate co-developed by CanSino Biologics and a Chinese military-backed research unit.

World's first patient cured of HIV dies after cancer returns

Timothy Ray Brown, the first person known to be cured of HIV when he had a unique type of bone marrow transplant, has died in California after relapsing with cancer, his partner said. "It is with great sadness that I announce that Timothy passed away ... this afternoon surrounded by myself and friends, after a 5 month battle with leukaemia," his partner, Tim Hoeffgen, said in a post on Facebook. He said Brown was his "hero" and "the sweetest person in the world".

Ginseng piles up in Canada during pandemic despite Chinese demand

The pandemic's crushing effect on international travel has grounded Canadian exports of ginseng, a root widely used in Asia to treat everything from the common cold to impotency, at a time when health is top of consumers' minds. Canada is the world's second-largest ginseng exporter after China, with most of its exports shipped to Hong Kong on their way to mainland China, Singapore and Taiwan.

New York City imposes mask fines as positive test rate climbs

New York City's mayor on Tuesday threatened to fine anyone caught in public without a mask, and the Walt Disney Co said it would lay off some 28,000 employees as its flagship California theme park remains closed during the coronavirus pandemic. More than 205,000 people have died in the United States and nearly 7.2 million people have been infected since the pandemic began in March, according to a Reuters tally.