Health News Roundup: WHO says too early to say coronavirus peaking in China and more

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

Coronavirus kills 'hero' Chinese doctor who sounded alarm as toll passes 630

A Chinese doctor who tried to warn the world about a new coronavirus died of the disease on Friday, prompting an outpouring of sorrow as the death toll passed 630 and Beijing declared a "people's war" on the rapidly spreading pathogen. Li Wenliang, 34, died in the early hours of the morning at the hospital where he worked and first raised the alarm about the new coronavirus in the central Chinese city of Wuhan, the epicenter of the outbreak, hospital officials said.

Peak coronavirus? Epidemic forecasts are often wrong but can be useful

Predicting "peak virus" is often destined to fail. But that's not to say it is pointless. Many health, policy and economic experts worldwide are now trying to do just this with the epidemic of coronavirus disease spreading from China. They are working together to map the curve of the outbreak, but warn there are too many holes in the data to reliably predict when it will reach its peak - when the number of new daily cases starts to decline consistently.

Obesity treatment programs may boost kids' self-esteem, body image

Children who participate in obesity treatment programs get a benefit over and above weight loss: they may also start seeing themselves more positively, a new study suggests. Based on an analysis of data from 64 previous studies, researchers concluded that obesity treatment programs appeared to boost kids' self-esteem and improve body image - and not just because the kids lost weight.

Jury orders Johnson & Johnson to pay $750 million in New Jersey talc case

Johnson & Johnson was ordered on Thursday by a New Jersey state jury to pay punitive damages of $750 million to four plaintiffs who allege that the company's Baby Powder caused their cancer, a ruling that will be reduced to around $185 million because of state laws, according to a lawyer for the plaintiffs and the company. During an earlier phase of the trial, a different jury held J&J liable for the plaintiffs' cancers and awarded them $37.2 million in compensation.

Brazil gives big tobacco companies 30 days notice in smoking lawsuit

The world's largest cigarette makers, British American Tobacco Plc and Philip Morris International, will have until early March to defend themselves in a lawsuit in Brazil over compensation for tobacco-related diseases. Since last year, the companies have refused to receive subpoenas delivered to their local subsidiaries in the lawsuit brought the Brazilian solicitor general's office.

Regeneron likely to make coronavirus treatments available in few months

Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc is ramping up efforts to develop a set of coronavirus treatments, which could be available for testing or use in some patients within a few months, the drugmaker said on Thursday. The drugmaker on Tuesday expanded its arrangement with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to collaborate on developing a treatment, joining the race to develop a treatment for the virus that has killed more than 550 people.

Just a few hundred prescribers responsible for half of U.S. opioid doses

The top 1% of opioid prescribers in the U.S. are responsible for 49% of all opioid doses and 27% of all prescriptions, according to a study that suggests efforts to combat overuse of prescription painkillers should concentrate on these heavy prescribers. The study authors examined data on 8.9 million opioid prescriptions for 3.9 million patients from 2003 to 2017, based on records from an average of 669,495 providers each year.

Desperate for coronavirus solutions, Chinese turn to HIV drugs, gray market and traditional cures

The rapidly spreading virus in China and a shortage of medical resources are prompting people to resort to unorthodox ways to obtain treatment, with some appealing to HIV patients and unauthorized importers for medicine. Chinese health authorities have said there is not yet any effective cure for the virus, which has killed more than 500 people in China. Although there is no evidence from clinical trials, China's National Health Commision said the HIV drug lopinavir/ritonavir can be used for coronavirus patients, without specifying how they might help.

Corteva to stop making pesticide linked to kids' health problems

Corteva Inc will stop producing the agricultural pesticide chlorpyrifos by the end of the year, the company said on Thursday, removing the world's largest manufacturer of a chemical that has been linked to low birth weight, reduced IQ and attention disorders in children. Corteva, spun off last year after a merger of Dow Chemical and Dupont, said declining sales drove its decision to end production and officials continue to believe chlorpyrifos is safe.

WHO says too early to say coronavirus peaking in China

The World Health Organization (WHO) said on Thursday it was too early to say that China's coronavirus outbreak was peaking, but noted that the country had recorded its first day of a drop in the number of new infections. The death toll from the virus in mainland China jumped by 73 to 563, with more than 28,000 confirmed infections inside the world's second-largest economy. That number had risen by nearly 4,000 from Wednesday to Thursday.