Health News Roundup: Electric scooter injuries rising; Minimum wage hikes tied to drop in suicide rates and more

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

Electric scooter injuries rising, one-third involve the head

Injuries and hospital admissions involving sharable two-wheeled electric scooters are on the rise in the U.S., a new study finds. Most concerning, researchers say, is that nearly a third of patients showing up at hospitals after an accident involving the powered, standing scooters had a head injury.

Minimum wage hikes tied to drop in suicide rates

People with no more than a high school education may be less likely to die by suicide when minimum wages rise, a U.S. study suggests. Researchers examined the difference between state and federal minimum hourly wages as well as state unemployment and suicide rates for adults 18 to 64 years old between 1990 and 2015.

China virus outbreak linked to seafood market not currently spreading: WHO

An outbreak of pneumonia that has killed one person in China and infected 40 others appears to be linked to a single seafood market in the central city of Wuhan and has not so far spread beyond there, the World Health Organization said on Sunday. The cluster of infections had raised fears of a potential epidemic after China said last week that the virus causing it was a previously unknown type but came from the same family of viruses that caused the SARS and MERS epidemics.

Man infected with mystery virus in China dies after outbreak

A 61-year-old man has died from pneumonia in the central Chinese city of Wuhan after an outbreak of a yet to be identified virus while seven others are in critical condition, the Wuhan health authorities said on Saturday. In total, 41 people have been diagnosed with the pathogen, which preliminary lab tests cited by Chinese state media earlier this week pointed to a new type of coronavirus, the Wuhan Municipal Health Commission said in a statement on its website.

Engaging with the arts may help you live longer

Older people who frequent art galleries and museums, attend the theater and concerts may live longer than those who don't, a study in England suggests. Even after accounting for a wide range of other health and social factors, researchers from University College London found that people over 50 who regularly engaged with art activities were 31% less likely to die during a 14-year follow-up than peers with no art in their lives.

Government experts urge new talc testing standards amid asbestos worries

An expert panel formed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has endorsed asbestos testing standards for cosmetics that reject long-held industry positions and reflect those of public health authorities and experts for thousands of plaintiffs who allege contaminated talc products caused their cancers. The most significant recommendation from the panel of government experts is that mineral particles found in talc products small enough to be drawn into the lungs - even those the industry would not call asbestos - should be counted as potentially harmful.