Reuters Health News Summary

Following is a summary of current health news briefs. Coronavirus deaths in Netherlands increase to 1,339: authorities

The number of deaths caused by an infection with the new coronavirus in the Netherlands has increased by 166 to 1,339, health authorities said on Thursday. The number of confirmed coronavirus infections in the country increased by 8% to 14,697, the Dutch Institute for Public Health said. Why is New Orleans' coronavirus death rate seven times New York's? Obesity is a factor

The coronavirus has been a far deadlier threat in New Orleans than the rest of the United States, with a per-capita death rate much higher than in New York City. Doctors, public health officials and available data say the Big Easy's high levels of obesity and related ailments may be part of the problem. "We're just sicker," said Rebekah Gee, who until January was the Health Secretary for Louisiana and now heads up Louisiana State University's healthcare services division. "We already had tremendous healthcare disparities before this pandemic – one can only imagine they are being amplified now." Britain's Hancock will set out new testing measures for coronavirus

Health minister Matt Hancock will set out on Thursday how Britain will boost its testing regime to help tackle the coronavirus outbreak, a spokesman for Prime Minister Boris Johnson said, acknowledging more needed to be done. Saying that Johnson believed Britain must see a "massive increase" in testing to "unlock the coronavirus puzzle and defeat it in the end", the spokesman told reporters: Australia begins pre-clinical testing for coronavirus vaccine

Australia's national science agency said on Thursday it has commenced the first stage of testing potential vaccines for COVID-19, as it joins a global race to halt the coronavirus pandemic. Pre-clinical testing by the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), comprising injecting ferrets with two potential vaccines, was underway at its high-containment biosecurity facility near Melbourne. Factbox: Latest on the spread of the coronavirus around the world

The World Health Organization (WHO) voiced deep concern on Wednesday about the rapid escalation and global spread of the coronavirus. "In the next few days, we will reach 1 million confirmed cases and 50,000 deaths worldwide," WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said. DEATHS, INFECTIONS What you need to know about the coronavirus right now

Here's what you need to know about the coronavirus right now: Passing the million milestone EU will avoid medicine shortage, industry chief says

European Union countries will have access to the medicines they need to care for coronavirus sufferers, the bloc's industry chief Thierry Breton said on Thursday, adding pharmaceutical companies were doubling production to address shortages. The coronavirus pandemic has placed a huge strain on hospitals in Italy, Spain, France, and elsewhere in Europe as intensive care units fill up with tens of thousands of patients suffering the same illness. Fielmann to donate 20,000 protective glasses to fight coronavirus

German eyewear manufacturer Fielmann has started to produce protective glasses to combat the spread of the coronavirus and plans to donate the first 20,000 to hospitals and other medical organisations, it said on Thursday. "Observing the rapid development of the coronavirus crisis, we have altered a part of our supply chain for plastic frames in favour of protective glasses," Chief Executive Marc Fielmann said in a statement. China reports new African swine fever cases in Gansu province

China has confirmed two cases of African swine fever in northwestern Gansu province, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs said on Thursday. One outbreak occurred in a co-operative that had bought piglets from another province, while the second case was detected in a truck transporting piglets from elsewhere. Most Americans huddle indoors as coronavirus deaths keep spiking

Four new states imposed sweeping stay-at-home directives on Wednesday in response to the coronavirus pandemic, putting over 80% of Americans under lockdown as the number of deaths in the United States nearly doubled in three days. The governors of Florida, Georgia, Mississippi and Nevada each instituted the strict policies on a day when the death toll from COVID-19 shot up by 925 to more than 4,800 nationwide, with 214,000 confirmed cases, according to a Reuters tally.