Health News Roundup: Russia reports 8,855 new coronavirus cases; AstraZeneca blood cancer drug shows signs of helping COVID-19 patients and more

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

Gargling with bleach? Americans misusing disinfectants to prevent coronavirus, survey finds

More than a third of Americans misused cleaners and disinfectants to try to prevent infection by the coronavirus, according to a survey taken shortly after President Donald Trump publicly asked whether injecting such products could treat COVID-19. Washing food with bleach, using household cleaning or disinfectant products on bare skin, and intentionally inhaling or ingesting these products were some of the most commonly reported "high-risk" practices in a May 4 online survey of 502 U.S. adults, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported.

UK government orders expanded use of face masks in English hospitals

All visitors to hospitals in England will be required to wear face coverings and all hospital staff must wear surgical masks from June 15, health minister Matt Hancock said on Friday. The announcement comes a day after the government said it would make face coverings mandatory on public transport.

AstraZeneca blood cancer drug shows signs of helping COVID-19 patients

AstraZeneca's cancer drug Calquence has shown initial signs of helping hospitalized COVID-19 patients get through the worst of the disease, as researchers scramble to repurpose existing treatments to help fight the deadly infection. Results from the preliminary research involving 19 patients, which was backed by the United States National Institutes of Health, encouraged the British drugmaker to explore the drug's new use in a wider clinical trial announced in April.

Russia reports 8,855 new coronavirus cases, 197 deaths in last 24 hours

Russia reported 8,855 new cases of the novel coronavirus on Saturday, pushing the total number of infections to 458,689. Officials said 197 people had died in the last 24 hours, bringing the official nationwide death toll to 5,725.

Indonesia reports biggest daily rise in coronavirus infections

Indonesia reported on Saturday its biggest daily rise in coronavirus infections, with 993 new cases, taking its total number to 30,514, a health ministry official said. The official, Achmad Yurianto, reported 31 new deaths related to COVID-19, taking the total number of deaths in Indonesia to 1,801.

'It's not over': COVID-19 cases rise in some nations easing lockdowns: WHO

Some countries have seen "upticks" in COVID-19 cases as lockdowns ease, and populations must protect themselves from the coronavirus while authorities continue testing, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Friday. The epicentre of the pandemic is currently in countries of Central, South and North America, particularly the United States, WHO spokeswoman Margaret Harris said.

Brazil reports 1,005 additional coronavirus deaths on Friday

Brazil reported an additional 1,005 novel coronavirus deaths and 30,830 new cases over the last 24 hours, data released by the health ministry showed on Friday night. The Latin American nation has now registered 35,026 total coronavirus deaths and 645,771 confirmed cases.

India overtakes Italy's coronavirus tally as lockdown easing looms

India reported a record 9,887 new coronavirus cases in one day on Saturday and overtook Italy as the world's sixth-biggest outbreak, two days before the relaxing of a lockdown with the reopening of malls, restaurants and places of worship. With its total number of cases rising to more than 236,000, India now has fewer infections than only the United States, Brazil, Russia, Britain and Spain, according to a Reuters tally.

Mexico reports 4,346 new coronavirus cases, 625 deaths

Mexico's health ministry reported on Friday an additional 4,346 cases of the novel coronavirus in the country as well as 625 new deaths, bringing the country's confirmed total to 110,026 cases and 13,170 deaths.

WHO continues hydroxychloroquine trial after UK test halts

The World Health Organization is continuing its clinical trial of hydroxychloroquine, after British scientists halted a large trial that had been exploring use of the drug to treat patients with COVID-19 when initial results showed no evidence of benefit. "There are two distinct trials with their own protocols, their own oversight committees. Therefore we will continue for now," Soumya Swaminathan, the WHO's chief scientist, told an online news briefing when asked about the British trial halt.

(With inputs from agencies.)