Health News Roundup: China reports 48 new confirmed coronavirus cases; Tokyo records most new coronavirus cases and more

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

Mainland China reports 48 new confirmed coronavirus cases

Mainland China reported on Tuesday a rise in new confirmed coronavirus cases, reversing four days of declines, due to an uptick in infections involving travelers arriving from overseas. Mainland China had 48 new cases on Monday, the National Health Commission said in a statement, up from 31 new infections a day earlier.

The new coronavirus: key terms explained

As the new coronavirus spreads, words such as COVID-19, pandemic and social distancing have become part of daily vocabulary. But what exactly do they mean?

Here are some key terms explained: Mass disinfections to combat coronavirus pose another health hazard

A drone dispersed clouds of disinfectant in the sky above Indonesia's second-largest city Surabaya on Tuesday, a response to the coronavirus pandemic which is catching on around the world despite warnings from health experts. Mass disinfections, often by workers in protective gear resembling characters from the comedy film Ghostbusters, have become a common sight -- from Turkey's Grand Bazaar to bridges in Mexico and migrant workers in India.

Tokyo records most new coronavirus cases in a day as pressure for lockdown builds

Japan's capital recorded more than 70 new coronavirus infections on Tuesday for its highest tally in a single day, as pressure mounted on the prime minister to order a lockdown. Japanese cases topped 2,000, and public broadcaster NHK said 78 cases in Tokyo took its tally of infections past 500. Media reports said 7 people in the city had died, five at one hospital.

Clear messages about quarantine are key to success, research finds

Clear and consistent messaging about lockdown measures, why they are needed, and about the practicalities of social distancing such as food and finances, are crucial to their potential for slowing outbreaks of disease, researchers said on Tuesday. With hundreds of cities worldwide already using isolation and quarantine during the COVID-19 pandemic caused by the new coronavirus - and more likely to follow - a study of previous disease outbreaks found that quarantine adherence rates range from 0% to more than 92%, and that clarity is key.

U.S. coronavirus death toll rises past 3,000 on the deadliest day

The U.S. death toll from the coronavirus pandemic climbed past 3,000 on Monday, the deadliest day yet in the country's mounting crisis, while New York cheered the arrival of a gleaming 1,000-bed U.S. Navy hospital ship as a sign of hope in the city's desperate fight. In a grim new milestone marking the spread of the virus, total deaths across the United States hit 3,017, including at least 540 on Monday, and the reported cases climbed to more than 163,000, according to a Reuters tally.

U.S. FDA authorizes the use of a new two-minute test kit for coronavirus

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has authorized the emergency use of Bodysphere Inc's test that can detect the coronavirus in nearly two minutes, the privately held company said on Tuesday. The FDA has been rushing to approve tests on an emergency basis and last week approved Abbott Laboratories' test that can deliver results within minutes.

Belgian girl becomes Europe's youngest coronavirus victim: media

A 12-year-old girl died in Belgium of the coronavirus, a spokesman for the health ministry said on Tuesday, and local media reported she was Europe's youngest victim of the disease. "It is a rare event but one that devastates us," virologist Emmanuel Andre told Belgium's official daily news conference on the spread of disease.

France to rapidly ramp up production of face masks and respirators: Macron

France plans to quickly ramp up domestic production of face masks and respirators to respond to the urgent needs of hospitals and caregivers during the coronavirus epidemic, French President Emmanuel Macron said on Tuesday. During a visit to a face mask factory, Macron said France needs at least 40 million face masks per week and that current domestic production and stocks were insufficient. The country's factories would boost output and by end-April, they should be able to produce 15 million face masks per week, he said.

Singapore warns firms to enable home-working as coronavirus cases rise to 926

Singapore said on Tuesday it could force companies to suspend operations if they do not do more to ensure employees can work from home to reduce the risk of coronavirus infections, as the city-state reported 47 more cases of the respiratory illness. "If we assess that a company has not made a serious enough effort to implement telecommuting, we may have to issue a stop-work order," Minister for Manpower Josephine Teo said. She said that if the nature of their business allowed work to be done from home, firms should do their utmost to make this happen.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)