Health News Roundup: Coronavirus cases exceed 1 million, wreaking world havoc; No quick deliveries of COVID-19 ventilators, EU says and more

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

Do social distancing better, White House doctor tells Americans. Trump objects

Dr. Deborah Birx, the coordinator of the White House task force on the coronavirus, had a message for Americans on Thursday: do better at social distancing. President Donald Trump didn't like the message. At what has become a daily briefing by the president and his advisers, Birx, a highly respected expert in global health, has served the role of explainer, walking journalists and the public through the data behind federal recommendations designed to slow the virus's spread.

Google data shines light on whether coronavirus lockdowns worldwide are working

Alphabet Inc's Google has published charts showing how the coronavirus has brought hard-hit Italy to a standstill, led to runs on grocery stores around the world and prompted a stark drop in going-out between Mardi Gras and St. Patrick's Day. The analysis of location data from billions of Google users' phones is the largest public dataset available to help health authorities assess if people are abiding with shelter-in-place and similar orders issued across the world to rein in the virus.

Face masks no replacement for distance amid coronavirus: Fauci

Wearing a face mask is not a substitute for physical distancing and other coronavirus mitigation measures, the nation's top infectious disease official said on Friday, as the Trump administration readies its formal recommendation on such coverings. Dr. Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, told Fox News in an interview American must continue to lean into physical separation recommendations for the rest of the month, saying he had "no doubt" they would help turn around the crisis.

No quick deliveries of COVID-19 ventilators, EU says

The European Union will struggle to get hold of large numbers of ventilators quickly to treat patients suffering from COVID-19 due to the complexity of the machines and high demand for them, the executive European Commission said on Friday. With medical equipment in short supply as Europe battles the pandemic, the Commission launched a joint procurement procedure on March 17 to buy ventilators on behalf of the bloc's 26 member states, in a bid to cut prices and reduce competition among states seeking the machines.

3D printers forge face shields for fight against the coronavirus

Oscar Valera likes to use 3D printers to build an assortment of crafts, but he is now turning his hobby toward the fight against the coronavirus pandemic. In just four days, the New Jersey high school teacher has printed and distributed 200 face shields to medical professionals across the country, including Florida and Texas. He is far from done.

Two young American doctors spend honeymoon fighting coronavirus

She'd picked her dress, they'd booked their honeymoon and the wedding was set for the end of March. Then, the coronavirus pandemic hit. So the two young American doctors, Kashif Chaudhry and Naila Shereen, whose whirlwind courtship spun them between New York City and Cedar Rapids, Iowa, canceled their big plans.

Countries face 'fights' over facemasks in China: German health minister

Countries' procurement agents are fighting each other in China for access to the protective equipment that must play a key role in stemming the spread of the novel coronavirus, German Health Minister Jens Spahn said. He was responding to a spate of reports of consignments of protective masks destined for European countries being bought up by United States officials, sometimes even as aeroplanes stood ready for departure on the tarmac.

Coronavirus claims more Spanish lives, but death rate slows

Spain reported more deaths from the coronavirus tearing around the world on Friday, but the number who succumbed overnight was lower than the previous day. Adding to the world's worst death toll from the disease after European neighbour Italy, 932 people died in 24 hours, bringing the total to 10,935, the Health Ministry said.

Coronavirus cases exceed 1 million, wreaking world havoc

Global cases of the new coronavirus have shot past 1 million with more than 53,000 fatalities, a Reuters tally showed on Friday, as death tolls kept soaring in the United States and western Europe while the world economy spiralled disastrously. Just in the previous day, there were 6,095 new deaths - nearly double all fatalities in China, where the COVID-19 disease originated.

Vietnam's total coronavirus cases rise to 237, no deaths: health ministry

Vietnam's health ministry reported 10 more coronavirus cases on Friday, taking the tally to 237. More than 73,000 coronavirus tests have been carried out in Vietnam, it said, and 72,942 people have been placed under quarantine. The health ministry has not reported any coronavirus deaths in the country.