Health News Roundup: Bayer: New data shows positive effect of kidney disease treatment drug; Monkeypox outbreak can be eliminated in Europe, WHO says and more

Metropolises from the southern tech hub of Shenzhen to southwestern Chengdu and the northeastern port of Dalian ordered measures such as lockdowns in big districts and business closures aimed at stamping out fresh outbreaks. U.S. to suspend free COVID-19 test orders next week Starting next week, Americans will no longer be able to order free at-home COVID-19 tests from a website set up by the U.S. government due to limited supply arising from a lack of congressional funding.

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

Bayer: New data shows positive effect of kidney disease treatment drug

Bayer said that new data presented on Monday highlighted the potential of finerenone, compared with a placebo, to reduce the incidence of sudden cardiac death in a broad range of patients, including early and late stages of chronic kidney disease associated with type 2 diabetes.

Monkeypox outbreak can be eliminated in Europe, WHO says

It is possible to eliminate the monkeypox outbreak in Europe, World Health Organization officials said on Tuesday, highlighting evidence that case counts are slowing in a handful of countries. There are encouraging signs of a sustained week-on-week decline in the onset of cases in many European countries, including France, Germany, Portugal, Spain and Britain, as well as a slowdown in some parts of the United States, despite scarce vaccine supplies.

Philips expands respiratory devices recall on possible plastic contamination

Dutch medical device maker Philips said on Monday it has expanded an earlier recall of some respiratory machines to a total of 1,700 devices globally due to possible contamination of a plastic component with a non-compatible material. The company's subsidiary, Philips Respironics, has not received any reports of patient harm due to the issue but announced the recall to prevent future occurrences, a Philips spokesperson said.

Swiss drugs regulator approves first bivalent Covid-19 booster

Swiss drugs regulator Swissmedic said on Monday that it has approved the first bivalent Covid-19 booster vaccine in the country. Moderna's Spikevax vaccine, which contains mRNA against two coronavirus variants, is authorized for anyone 18 years or older, said Swissmedic.

U.S. Supreme Court's Sotomayor keeps New York City COVID vaccine mandate

U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor on Monday declined to block New York City from enforcing its mandate that all municipal workers be vaccinated against COVID-19, rebuffing a police detective who challenged the public health policy. The liberal justice denied Detective Anthony Marciano's request for a stay of the vaccination requirement while an appeal over his claims continue in a lower court. A federal judge threw out Marciano's case in March.

China's big cities, from Dalian to Shenzhen, ramp up COVID curbs

Several of China's biggest cities imposed tougher COVID-19 curbs on Tuesday, further crimping the activities of tens of millions, and sparking fresh concerns for the health of a barely growing economy. Metropolises from the southern tech hub of Shenzhen to southwestern Chengdu and the northeastern port of Dalian ordered measures such as lockdowns in big districts and business closures aimed at stamping out fresh outbreaks.

U.S. to suspend free COVID-19 test orders next week

Starting next week, Americans will no longer be able to order free at-home COVID-19 tests from a website set up by the U.S. government due to limited supply arising from a lack of congressional funding. The COVIDTests.gov website, set up during the Omicron variant record surge in cases, helped U.S. households secure COVID-19 tests at no cost.

'It felt like my insides were crying': China COVID curbs hit youth mental health

Zhang Meng had a breakdown last December. The 20-year-old found herself sobbing on the stairs of her dorm, driven to despair by repeated COVID lockdowns of her university campus in Beijing. The lockdowns had meant she was mostly confined to her room and unable to meet up with friends. There were also strict curbs on when she could visit the canteen or take a shower. Describing herself as someone who craves in-person social interaction, Zhang said the restrictions had "removed the safety net that was holding me up and I felt like my whole being was falling down".

Namibia suspends livestock imports from Botswana after animal disease scare

Namibia on Monday announced the suspension of livestock imports and other related meat products from Botswana after its eastern neighbour announced last week that it is investigating a suspected outbreak of foot and mouth disease. Suspected cases of the viral disease - which causes lesions and lameness in cattle, sheep and other cloven-hoofed animals but does not affect people - were detected in Botswana's North East district.

Argentine woman's affordable chemo cap offers hope by preventing hair loss

After doctors diagnosed Paula Estrada with breast cancer in 2009, the then 41-year-old Argentine decided she would not only beat the disease, but would do so without losing her long blonde hair to the ravages of chemotherapy. At her home in Buenos Aires, Estrada, a graphic designer by profession, set about creating a makeshift cooling cap out of ice packs to keep her scalp cold - and ward off hair loss.