Health News Roundup: Pet cat tests positive for coronavirus; Latest on the spread of the coronavirus and more

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

Trump warns Americans of a tough two weeks in coronavirus fight

President Donald Trump warned Americans they would have a very tough two weeks coming in the fight against the coronavirus as he urged everyone to follow federal social distancing guidelines through the end of April. "It's absolutely critical for the American people to follow the guidelines for the next 30 days. It's a matter of life and death," Trump said in a news conference at the White House.

Pet cat tests positive for coronavirus in Hong Kong

A pet cat has tested positive for the coronavirus in Hong Kong after its owner was confirmed with having the virus, the city's Agricultural and Fisheries department said, cautioning that the animal has not shown any signs of the disease. In a notice late on Tuesday, the department said there is currently no evidence that pet animals can be a source of COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, and owners should not abandon their pets.

U.S. emergency medical stockpile nearly out of protective gear as demand rises - officials

An emergency stockpile of medical equipment maintained by the U.S. government has nearly run out of protective gear that could be useful to combat the coronavirus pandemic, according to two officials with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. The near-exhausted supply includes masks, respirators, gloves, gowns and face shields, the officials said. A small amount of gear has been set aside for federal first responders, according to one of the officials, both of whom requested anonymity to discuss the matter.

'On our own now': U.S. strategic stockpile empty of medical supplies

Connecticut's governor on Tuesday said the U.S. Strategic National Stockpile of medical supplies was now empty and the state was "on its own" trying to secure ventilators and masks to fight the coronavirus pandemic. The stockpile is the country's largest store of medical supplies for use in a crisis and for weeks governors have been clamoring for its dwindling stocks of face masks and other gear to protect frontline medics, first responders and patients.

U.S. Army Corps to build hundreds of temporary hospitals for coronavirus crisis

U.S. officials want to build hundreds of temporary hospitals across the country to cope with the thousands of new coronavirus cases being diagnosed daily after the United States endured its deadliest day yet on Monday with 575 fatalities. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which converted a New York convention center into a 1,000-bed hospital in the space of a week, is searching for hotels, dormitories, convention centers, and large open space to build as many as 341 temporary hospitals, the chief of corps said on Tuesday.

Loss of taste, smell key COVID-19 symptoms: British scientists' study

Losing your sense of smell and taste may be the best way to tell if you have COVID-19, according to a study of data collected via a symptom tracker app developed by British scientists to help monitor the pandemic caused by the new coronavirus. Almost 60% of patients who were subsequently confirmed as positive for COVID-19 had reported losing their sense of smell and taste, the data analyzed by the researchers showed.

Latest on the spread of the coronavirus around the world

The U.S. government raced to build hundreds of makeshift hospitals to ease the strain on overwhelmed healthcare systems as the United States marked 700 deaths in a single day from COVID-19 for the first time on Tuesday.

DEATHS, INFECTIONS U.S. health officials consider face masks for Americans to slow coronavirus, but 'not there yet'

U.S. health officials said on Tuesday they are discussing whether to recommend the general public wear face masks as a way to prevent transmission of the new coronavirus, but that it was too soon to take that step. The wide use of masks outside the healthcare setting, which has been employed in other countries with some success, is under active consideration by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the White House coronavirus task force will discuss it on Tuesday, said Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation's top infectious disease expert.

China starts to report asymptomatic coronavirus cases

Chinese health authorities began on Wednesday reporting on asymptomatic cases of the coronavirus as part of an effort to allay public fears that people could be spreading the virus without knowing they are infected with it. China, where the coronavirus emerged late last year, has managed to bring its outbreak under control and is easing travel restrictions in virus hot spots.

Becton Dickinson, BioMedomics launch test to detect past, current coronavirus exposure

Becton Dickinson and Co and diagnostics company BioMedomics on Tuesday said they will launch a diagnostic test that can detect current or past exposure to the coronavirus within minutes, and can be used in doctors' offices, as well as other settings. The test is the latest to join an arsenal of diagnostic tools for the coronavirus that can be used in community health settings such as doctors' offices and urgent care clinics.

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