Health News Roundup: UK records 397 COVID deaths, highest daily toll since May; U.S. CDC reports 230,893 deaths from coronavirus and more

[https://bit.ly/389ohyw ] Canadian province of Ontario plans to allow indoor dining, gyms to reopen in Toronto Indoor dining and gyms in Canada's financial capital, Toronto, will reopen on Nov. 14, pending confirmation from public health experts on Friday, Premier Doug Ford said on Tuesday, while the country's top doctor for the first time recommended the use of three-layer non-medical masks.

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

Lung damage found in COVID dead may shed light on 'long COVID': study

A study of the lungs of people who have died from COVID-19 has found persistent and extensive lung damage in most cases and may help doctors understand what is behind a syndrome known as 'long COVID', in which patients suffer ongoing symptoms for months. Scientists leading the research said they also found some unique characteristics of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, which may explain why it is able to inflict such harm.

U.S. coronavirus hospitalizations hit three-month high over 50,000: Reuters tally

The number of coronavirus patients in U.S. hospitals breached 50,000 on Tuesday, the highest level in nearly three months, as a surge in infections threatens to push the nation's health care system to the edge of capacity. Texas reported the highest number of currently hospitalized patients with 5,936, followed by Illinois with 3,594 and California with 3,270 patients, according to a Reuters tally. While California has three times as many people as Illinois, new cases have been the highest per capita in the Midwest.

UK records 397 COVID deaths, highest daily toll since May

The United Kingdom reported 397 new deaths from COVID-19 on Tuesday, the highest daily figure since May 27, as the government prepares to introduce a national lockdown in England to stop a wave of infections threatening the health service. The UK, which has the biggest official death toll in Europe from COVID-19, is grappling with more than 20,000 new coronavirus cases a day. Scientists have warned a worst-case scenario of 80,000 dead could be exceeded this winter.

UK in talks with Palantir over COVID-19 test-and-trace program: FT

The British government is in talks with U.S. data analytics company Palantir Technologies Inc in an attempt to strengthen its test-and-trace program for COVID-19, the Financial Times reported on Tuesday. Officials have been in talks with the tech company about using its Foundry software to manage sensitive contact tracing data, the FT reported https://on.ft.com/3oNU121, citing people familiar with the matter.

U.S. FDA warns about false positive results from COVID-19 antigen tests

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said on Tuesday it is alerting clinical laboratory staff and healthcare providers that false positive results can occur with COVID-19 antigen tests. The decision was made following reports of false positive results associated with the tests used in nursing homes. [https://bit.ly/389ohyw ]

Canadian province of Ontario plans to allow indoor dining, gyms to reopen in Toronto

Indoor dining and gyms in Canada's financial capital, Toronto, will reopen on Nov. 14, pending confirmation from public health experts on Friday, Premier Doug Ford said on Tuesday, while the country's top doctor for the first time recommended the use of three-layer non-medical masks. The announcement by Ford was part of a reopening framework unveiled on Tuesday and comes as COVID-19 case counts rise in the province as in much of Canada. But recent modeling out of Ontario suggests the surge will not overwhelm hospital capacity in the country's most populous province.

McKesson says states seek $21 billion from drug distributors in opioid settlement

McKesson Corp on Tuesday said it and two other major U.S. drug distributors could be expected to pay up to $21 billion under a new proposal to resolve thousands of lawsuits alleging they helped fuel the U.S. opioid crisis. McKesson and rivals AmerisourceBergen Corp and Cardinal Health Inc last year proposed paying a combined $18 billion to resolve the roughly 3,200 lawsuits, with drugmaker Johnson & Johnson paying another $4 billion.

U.S. CDC reports 230,893 deaths from coronavirus

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Tuesday reported 9,268,818 cases of the novel coronavirus, an increase of 86,190 cases from its previous count, and said that the number of deaths had risen by 510 to 230,893. The CDC reported its tally of cases of the respiratory illness known as COVID-19 as of 4 p.m. ET on Nov. 2, compared with its previous report released a day earlier. (https://bit.ly/3mA7Hfa)

France ponders new Paris curfew as lockdown rebels frustrate government

France could reimpose a night curfew on Paris and possibly the surrounding region amid government frustration that too many people are ignoring lockdown rules as COVID-19 infections soar. France dramatically slowed the spread of the coronavirus in the spring with one of Europe's strictest lockdowns. But 10 months into the epidemic and with winter drawing in, many are reluctant to endure another period of confinement.

Johnson & Johnson fails to overturn $2.12 billion baby powder verdict, plans Supreme Court appeal

Missouri's highest court on Tuesday refused to consider Johnson & Johnson's appeal of a $2.12 billion damages award to women who blamed their ovarian cancer on asbestos in its baby powder and other talc products. The Missouri Supreme Court let stand a June 23 decision by a state appeals court, which upheld a jury's July 2018 finding of liability but reduced J&J's payout from $4.69 billion after dismissing claims by some of the 22 plaintiffs.