Health News Roundup: Teens spend too much time playing video games; WHO calls emergency meeting and more

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

Parents think teens spend too much time playing video games

Most American parents think their teens spend too much time playing video games, but many of them also believe this is typical adolescent behavior, a U.S. study suggests. A whopping 86% of parents "agreed" or "strongly agreed" their teens spend too much time gaming, according to a new report from the University of Michigan's C.S. Mott Children's Hospital National Poll.

As virus spreads to more Chinese cities, WHO calls emergency meeting

An outbreak of a new coronavirus has spread to more Chinese cities, including the capital Beijing and Shanghai, authorities said on Monday, and a fourth case has been reported beyond China's borders. China's National Health Commission confirmed that the virus, which causes a type of pneumonia, can pass from person-to-person, the official Xinhua News Agency said.

China agriculture minister urges authorities to prevent recurrence of African swine fever

China's agriculture minister urged authorities to prevent a recurrence in African swine fever outbreaks, according to a statement on the ministry's website on Monday. Relevant departments must work to achieve this year's pig production recovery goal, said Han Changfu, minister of agriculture and rural affairs.

Women rarely regret decision to get abortion

Five years after an abortion, most women still say it was the right decision even if they struggled with their choice at the time, a U.S. study suggests. Researchers surveyed 667 women who had abortions in 21 states a week after they had the procedures and then once every six months for five years. By the end of that period, 84% of women had either positive or neutral feelings about their choice.

Slovakia detects second case of H5N8 bird flu

Slovakia detected its second case of the highly pathogenic H5N8 bird flu virus at a farm in the west of the country, the Agriculture Ministry said on Monday. Bird flu cases have appeared in the four central European countries of Slovakia, Poland, Hungary, and the Czech Republic since the end of last year.

China reports new H5N6 bird flu case in Xinjiang region

China's agriculture ministry said on Monday it had detected the highly pathogenic H5N6 strain of avian flu in swans in its western Xinjiang region. The case is the third month of the strain in swans in Xinjiang.

Ukraine reports first H5 bird flu case in three years: OIE

Ukraine has reported an outbreak of highly pathogenic bird flu on a farm in the west-central part of the country, the first of such outbreak in nearly three years, the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) said on Monday. Citing a report from Ukraine's veterinary services, the Paris-based OIE said the virus was of serotype H5 but gave no further detail.

Masks on, Chinese start holiday travels as alarm mounts over mystery virus

Bundled up in winter clothes as they head home for the Lunar New Year holiday amid a health scare over a mysterious new virus, Chinese travelers on the teeming concourse of Beijing West station were evenly split between the masked and the barefaced. Covering up was clearly the best decision for many of the passengers waiting to board the packed train carriages for the 5-1/2 hour journey to Wuhan, the epicenter of an outbreak that has sent shivers through the world's most populous country.

(With inputs from agencies.)