Reuters Health News Summary

Following is a summary of current health news briefs. Two more weeks of lockdown as Spain's coronavirus crisis worsens

Spain's coronavirus lockdown was extended on Thursday to last until at least April 12 as Europe's second-worst hit country struggled to tackle a fast increase in the death toll. Parliament voted in the early hours of Thursday to extend emergency measures - including the state of lockdown that has seen people confined to their homes except for essential trips for food, medicine and work. Latest on the spread of the coronavirus around the world

Coronavirus cases across the globe jumped on Thursday as Japan planned to a special task force and New Zealand went under lockdown. The U.S. Senate unanimously backed a $2-trillion bill aimed at helping unemployed workers and industries hurt by the epidemic. DEATHS, INFECTIONS Pharmacies set policies to stop U.S. hoarding of potential coronavirus treatments

CVS Health Corp and Express Scripts, which set pharmacy policies for tens of millions of Americans, are putting in place measures to prevent hoarding of the malaria drug hydroxychloroquine and other treatments being tried against the new coronavirus. Walgreens Boots Alliance has placed limits on prescriptions of hydroxychloroquine and the related malaria treatment chloroquine. British firm says antibody test is being validated

Prototypes of a coronavirus antibody test which could be a game-changer in the fight against the pandemic are being assessed and are ready to be optimized, the developer of the technology said on Thursday. Antibody tests are designed to establish whether people have previously been infected, as opposed to antigen tests which show if someone actually has the COVID-19 disease caused by the virus. China's local coronavirus cases die down, imported cases rise

Mainland China reported no new locally transmitted cases of coronavirus for the sixth time in eight days as Hubei province, where the virus was first detected, opened its borders. Less encouragingly, imported cases rose, prompting Beijing and Shanghai to ramp up controls to prevent a resurgence of infections as the world's second largest economy gets back underway after the earlier lockdowns. Beware second waves of COVID-19 if lockdowns eased early: study

Extending school and work closures at the coronavirus' ground zero in China may delay a second wave of infections, researchers said on Thursday, urging the rest of the world to take note. With containment measures largely successful and the epidemic's epicenter now in Europe, China has loosened a two-month lockdown in the city of Wuhan where the new coronavirus is thought to have jumped from wildlife to people late last year. What you need to know about the coronavirus

The latest news about the coronavirus worldwide: G20 leaders to discuss response to coronavirus Danish charity network to 3D print protective visors

A group of Danish entrepreneurs have started a charity network that stands ready to make up to 20,000 protective visors a day using 3D printers, in an attempt to meet rising demand from doctors and nurses combating the coronavirus outbreak. With hospitals in Denmark and other countries stretched as they treat a rising number of patients infected with the coronavirus, traditional supply chains have failed to meet global demand for facial masks and other protective gear. U.S. FDA approves Bristol-Myers MS drug, launch delayed due to coronavirus

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Thursday approved Bristol-Myers Squibb Co's multiple sclerosis (MS) treatment, Zeposia, but its launch will be delayed due to the coronavirus outbreak, the drugmaker said. The drug, also known as ozanimod, was added to the U.S. drugmaker's portfolio through its $74 billion acquisition of Celgene last year and its approval was one of the three conditions set for a potentially higher payout for Celgene investors. Belgium says coronavirus peak still ahead

The peak of Belgium's coronavirus infections still lies ahead, the health ministry said on Thursday, adding much will depend on how strictly people follow lockdown measures. Belgium, a country of some 11.5 million people, has so far confirmed 6,235 coronavirus cases and reported 220 deaths due to the disease, which is now ravaging Europe after originating in China late last year.