Reuters Health News Summary

Following is a summary of current health news briefs. Eli Lilly does not expect drug shortages due to coronavirus

U.S. drugmaker Eli Lilly and Co said on Tuesday it does not expect the coronavirus outbreak to result in shortages for any of its treatments, including all forms of insulin. The company said it does not source active drug ingredients from China for any of its approved medicines and that its insulin manufacturing facilities in the United States and Europe have not been impacted by the outbreak. Global supplier India curbs drug exports as coronavirus fears grow

India, the world's main supplier of generic drugs, has restricted the export of 26 pharmaceutical ingredients and the medicines made from them, including paracetamol, as the coronavirus outbreak plays havoc with supply chains. Indian drugmakers rely on China, the source of the virus outbreak, for almost 70% of the active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) for their medicines. Industry experts say they are likely to face shortages if the epidemic drags on. 'Perfect Storm': Washington virus deaths highlight risk at nursing homes

Less than a year after Constantine Valhouli moved his 85-year-old father into a Massachusetts elder-care facility, he is considering bringing his dad back home, his confidence rattled by a deadly coronavirus outbreak at a Washington state nursing home. The deaths of four residents at the LifeCare long-term care facility in Kirkland has stoked Valhouli's fears that the virus could spread quickly and quietly in facilities such as the home where his father resides after a series of strokes. Colombia's Constitutional Court rules against legalizing abortion in first 16 weeks of pregnancy

Colombia's Constitutional Court ruled on Monday against legalizing abortions in up to the first 16 weeks of pregnancy and said the procedure would continue to be allowed in just three specific cases. The decision dashed the hopes of those who had looked to see abortion legalized in Colombia. The Andean country is part of a region that has some of the world’s strictest reproductive rights laws. Australia to use biosecurity law to restrict movements of coronavirus patients

Australia will use a little-known biosecurity law to restrict the movements of people suspected of having the coronavirus, its attorney-general said on Tuesday. Australia on Monday confirmed the first community transmission of coronavirus after a doctor contracted it. State health officials have said the unidentified doctor has not traveled overseas in months and had not treated any of the other confirmed cases. China reports new African swine fever case in wild boar in Hubei province

China's agriculture ministry said on Tuesday it had detected the African swine fever virus in wild boar in Hubei province. The ministry said seven wild boar had been found dead in the Shennongjia Forestry district in the northwest of the province, which is in central China. 'Unprecedented' mental health issues seen in Hong Kong amid virus fears

As Hong Kong tries to contain the coronavirus outbreak, medical experts say many in the Asian financial hub are reeling from increased anxiety and an unprecedented level of mental health issues. The SARS-CoV-2 epidemic came after months of tumultuous anti-government protests that had already led to a sharp increase in depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), they said. Coronavirus deaths rise to six in Seattle area as U.S. pushes for more testing

Six people in the Seattle area have died of illness caused by the new coronavirus, health officials said on Monday, as authorities across the United States scrambled to prepare for more infections with an emphasis on increasing testing capacity. Dr. Jeff Duchin, health officer for the Seattle and King County Public Health agency, announced the rise in fatalities from the previous two in Washington state. J&J ordered to pay $1.7 million to three Australian women in pelvic mesh class action

An Australian court on Tuesday ordered Johnson & Johnson to pay three women a total of A$2.6 million ($1.7 million) plus legal costs as compensation for misleading patients and surgeons about the risks of its pelvic mesh implants. The Federal Court of Australia awarded the three lead applicants in the class action lawsuit between A$555,555 and A$1.28 million, the company said. World finance officials plot 'powerful and timely' response to beat coronavirus

Group of Seven officials will discuss ways to bolster their economies against the impact of the spreading coronavirus outbreak on Tuesday, but are not expected to call for new spending or coordinated interest rate cuts, a G7 official said. G7 finance ministers and central bank governors were due to hold a conference call at 1200 GMT to discuss the outbreak. But according to the official, who declined to be identified, a statement they are crafting does not detail any fiscal or monetary steps.