Health News Roundup: U.S. CDC reports 206,402 coronavirus deaths; U.S. HHS announces further $20 billion funding and more

Pandemic risks overwhelming Wisconsin as New York 'hot spots' heat up Wisconsin, where U.S. President Donald Trump will hold rallies over the weekend, registered a record increase in new COVID-19 cases on Thursday, while New York state reported a worrisome uptick of positive coronavirus tests in 20 'hot spots.' The 3,000 new infections reported in Wisconsin fanned fears that the sheer number of new patients could overwhelm hospitals.

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

U.S. CDC reports 206,402 coronavirus deaths

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Thursday reported 7,213,419 cases of the new coronavirus, an increase of 45,342 cases from its previous count, and said that the number of deaths had risen by 1,030 to 206,402. The CDC reported its tally of cases of the respiratory illness known as COVID-19, caused by the new coronavirus, as of 4 pm ET on Sept. 30, compared with its previous report a day earlier. (https://bit.ly/3kZDvsN)

U.S. HHS announces further $20 billion funding to healthcare providers

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services on Thursday announced a fresh round of $20 billion funding for frontline healthcare providers dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic. The new allocation will take into account financial losses and changes in operating expenses caused by the coronavirus, the agency said, adding that providers that have already received relief fund payments can also apply for more funds.

U.S. coronavirus cases rise month-over-month in 27 states in September, led by Wisconsin

New cases of COVID-19 rose in 27 out of 50 U.S. states in September compared with August, led by an increase of 111% in Wisconsin, according to a Reuters analysis. The Midwest states of North Dakota, South Dakota and Wisconsin all saw cases surge more than 50% month-over-month, as did Montana, Utah, West Virginia and Wyoming. https://graphics.reuters.com/HEALTH-CORONAVIRUS/ygdvzkaerpw/

EU regulator launches real-time review of AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine

The European health regulator said on Thursday it started a rolling review of the experimental COVID-19 vaccine from AstraZeneca and Oxford University, aiming to speed up any future approval process. The European Medicines Agency (EMA) said its human medicines committee has started evaluating the first batch of data on the vaccine, and will continue till sufficient data is available and a formal application is submitted. (https://bit.ly/36qyDZM)

Coal baron Murray seeks U.S. benefits to treat his black lung disease - report

U.S. coal baron Robert Murray, whose company Murray Energy filed for bankruptcy last year, has applied for federal benefits to treat his black lung disease after opposing more stringent coal dust regulations for years, according to report by West Virginia public radio. Murray, an ally of President Donald Trump, filed a claim with the Department of Labor seeking to access federal benefits to treat his disease, which is caused by prolonged exposure to coal dust, Ohio Valley ReSource - a National Public Radio affiliate, reported on Thursday.

Pandemic risks overwhelming Wisconsin as New York 'hot spots' heat up

Wisconsin, where U.S. President Donald Trump will hold rallies over the weekend, registered a record increase in new COVID-19 cases on Thursday, while New York state reported a worrisome uptick of positive coronavirus tests in 20 'hot spots.' The 3,000 new infections reported in Wisconsin fanned fears that the sheer number of new patients could overwhelm hospitals. Florida, which has four times as many people as Wisconsin, reported 2,628 new cases on Thursday.

Delight and worry as Sweden lifts pandemic ban on nursing home visits

Sweden ended a six-month ban on visits to nursing homes on Thursday, delighting residents and their relatives but also prompting fears of a return to the grim months of spring when COVID-19 caused thousands of deaths at care facilities. Ingrid Bolander, 82, is itching to visit her husband Soren. He suffers from dementia and was admitted to a nursing home in Gothenburg, Sweden's second biggest city, during the summer.

HHS says Gilead, distributor can directly sell COVID-19 drug in U.S.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) said on Thursday that U.S. hospitals can now buy Gilead Sciences Inc's antiviral COVID-19 drug remdesivir from the company and its distributor. The drug, branded as Veklury, was being distributed across the United States by HHS.

Doctors group says Turkey 'hid the truth' by reporting only those with COVID-19 symptoms

Turkey's top medical association and the main opposition party on Thursday criticised a decision by President Tayyip Erdogan's government to only publicly disclose new coronavirus cases if the patient is showing symptoms. Members of the Turkish Medical Association (TTB) and of the Republican People's Party (CHP) said the policy, acknowledged late on Wednesday by the health minister, hides the true scale of the pandemic and was meant to keep the economy moving.

Universal Health Services says its network is 'still down': spokeswoman

A spokeswoman for Universal Health Services said Thursday that its network is still down following a malware incident that experts and employees have described as a ransomware attack. Spokeswoman Jane Crawford said in an email that the company was making "steady progress" and that some systems were coming back online.