Health News Roundup: Trump's son Barron tested positive for COVID-19; Trump's son Barron tested positive for COVID-19 and more

COVID-19 increases risks for cancer patients Trump's 'lucky' aides recovering from coronavirus, again spurning masks Two weeks after the coronavirus spread through the White House, staffers have begun trickling back to the West Wing, saying they only had mild symptoms and again spurning the use of masks despite criticism that they have been careless about the outbreak.

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

Worried European nations revive curfews, lockdowns amid 'exponential growth' in virus

France imposed curfews while other European nations are closing schools, cancelling surgeries and enlisting student medics as overwhelmed authorities face the nightmare scenario of a COVID-19 resurgence at the onset of winter. With new cases hitting about 100,000 daily, Europe has by a wide margin overtaken the United States, where more than 51,000 COVID-19 infections are reported on average every day.

As more Americans vote early, Trump presses on to Iowa

With less than three weeks to go until the U.S. presidential election, President Donald Trump on Wednesday will hold a rally in Iowa, as he tries to make up for time lost on the campaign trail during his recent bout with the coronavirus. As Trump races against the clock, Americans are casting ballots early at a record pace. Close to 12 million people have already voted, according to the U.S. Elections Project at the University of Florida.

Trump's son Barron tested positive for COVID-19, says Melania Trump

President Donald Trump's 14-year-old son, Barron, tested positive for COVID-19 but exhibited no symptoms after both of his parents contracted the virus, first lady Melania Trump said on Wednesday. "Luckily he is a strong teenager and exhibited no symptoms," Melania Trump said in a statement. She said she and Barron had since tested negative for the virus.

'Long COVID' may affect multiple parts of body and mind, doctors say

Ongoing illness after infection with COVID-19, sometimes called "long COVID", may not be one syndrome but possibly up to four causing a rollercoaster of symptoms affecting all parts of the body and mind, doctors said on Thursday. In an initial report about long-term COVID-19, Britain's National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) said one common theme among ongoing COVID patients - some of whom are seven months or more into their illness - is that symptoms appear in one physiological area, such as the heart or lungs, only to abate and then arise again in a different area.

No time for conviviality: France imposes curfews to beat back coronavirus

French President Emmanuel Macron ordered a third of France's population be put under nightly curfew on Wednesday to tackle a surging second wave of the coronavirus, saying now was not the time for conviviality. The virus was spreading at parties and private gatherings, the president said, and action was needed now in Paris and eight other big French cities to slow the rate of infection or else hospitals risked being overwhelmed.

COVID-19 increases risks for cancer patients; common cold antibodies no help vs coronavirus

The following is a 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.

COVID-19 increases risks for cancer patients Trump's 'lucky' aides recovering from coronavirus, again spurning masks

Two weeks after the coronavirus spread through the White House, staffers have begun trickling back to the West Wing, saying they only had mild symptoms and again spurning the use of masks despite criticism that they have been careless about the outbreak. With President Donald Trump declaring himself immune after his own bout with COVID-19 required hospitalization, his aides at the White House, his re-election campaign and the Republican National Committee are steadily recovering from a sickness that sidelined many of them just weeks before the Nov. 3 election.

Australia's Victoria state says daily coronavirus infections fall to eight-day low

Australia's Victoria state said on Thursday it had just six new coronavirus cases in the last 24 hours, its lowest one-day figure in eight days, and no deaths. Its capital Melbourne, which has been the epicentre of the country's COVID-19 outbreak, is in its third month of a stringent lockdown and Victoria state Premier Daniel Andrews is due to update plans to ease restrictions on Sunday.

China's Sinopharm offers experimental COVID-19 vaccines to students: WSJ

A division of Chinese state-run Sinopharm Group Co Ltd that is developing two COVID-19 vaccines is offering them for free to Chinese students going abroad for higher studies, the Wall Street Journal reported https://on.wsj.com/3iWzvYJ on Wednesday. The move by China National Biotec Group Co (CNBG) is aimed at boosting public confidence in homegrown inoculations, the Journal reported, citing a company website and some students who applied for it.

U.S. states oppose settlement being negotiated by OxyContin maker Purdue and Justice Department: letter

A group of 25 state attorneys general oppose a settlement of U.S. opioid probes being negotiated with Purdue Pharma LP and members of the wealthy Sackler family who own it, arguing the deal would improperly entangle state and local officials with future sales of the company's addictive pain drug OxyContin. In a letter to U.S. Attorney General William Barr, the state attorneys general take issue with the Justice Department's condition that Purdue transform into a "public benefit company" that would be run on behalf of thousands of U.S. communities suing the drugmaker and Sackler family members. The letter cited a previous Reuters report detailing discussions to resolve the investigations.