Reuters Health News Summary

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

Nurses must be protected from abuse during coronavirus pandemic - WHO, nursing groups

Authorities must protect nurses and other health workers from harassment and attacks compounding the already heavy toll they are paying in the pandemic, the World Health Organization (WHO) and top nursing officials said on Tuesday. Some 100 medical workers are reported to have died from the disease so far, including many nurses, Howard Catton, ceo of the International Council of Nurses, told a news briefing.

Special Report: Doctors embrace drug touted by Trump for COVID-19, without hard evidence it works

The decades-old drug that President Donald Trump has persistently promoted as a potential weapon against COVID-19 has within a matter of weeks become a standard of care in areas of the United States hit hard by the pandemic — though doctors prescribing it have no idea whether it works. Doctors and pharmacists from more than half a dozen large healthcare systems in New York, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Ohio, Washington and California told Reuters they are routinely using hydroxychloroquine on patients hospitalized with COVID-19. At the same time, several said they have seen no evidence that the drug, used for years to treat malaria and autoimmune disorders, has any effect on the virus.

U.S. officials brace for 'peak death week' in coronavirus

U.S. officials on Monday girded the country for a "peak death week" from the coronavirus pandemic as the accelerating American death toll closed the gap with Italy and Spain, the countries with the most fatalities to date. "It's going to be the peak hospitalization, peak ICU week and unfortunately, peak death week," Admiral Brett Giroir, a physician and a member of the White House coronavirus task force, told ABC's "Good Morning America" on Monday.

China posts drop in coronavirus cases, Wuhan lockdown due to end

Mainland China reported on Tuesday a drop in new coronavirus cases after closing its borders to virtually all foreigners to curb imported infections, while the central city of Wuhan, epicentre of the outbreak, saw no new deaths for the first time. China had 32 new confirmed cases of the coronavirus on Monday, down from 39 cases a day earlier, the National Health Commission said.

Trump speaks with pharmaceutical, biotech CEOs about coronavirus therapies - spokeswoman

President Donald Trump on Monday spoke with the heads of pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies to discuss developments in therapeutics to fight coronavirus, according to White House Press Secretary Stephanie Grisham. Trump hosted a call with "CEOs of pharmaceutical & bio-tech companies to discuss developments in therapeutics to fight the Coronavirus," Grisham wrote on Twitter. "We are working hard to tear down barriers, cut red tape, & encourage cooperation across private industries & government."

Europe dares to consider easing lockdowns as U.S. enters 'peak death week'

European nations including hard-hit Italy and Spain have started looking ahead to easing coronavirus lockdowns after steady falls in fatality rates, as the United States prepared on Monday for what one official called "peak death week". British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, the most prominent victim of the virus, was having tests in hospital on Monday after 10 days of symptoms, but said he was continuing to work. Officials declined to say whether he had pneumonia.

New York Governor says coronavirus crisis may have hit plateau

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo noted on Monday that hospitalizations of coronavirus patients are down and the rate of rise in deaths has leveled off in the hardest-hit state, suggesting the crisis may be plateauing, but he warned against complacency and extended a closure of businesses and schools. "While none of this good news, the possible flattening of the curve is better than the increases that we have seen," Cuomo told a daily briefing, warning that the numbers remain grim and that it was not certain the state had turned the corner.

Masks should be prioritized for health workers to avoid shortage against coronavirus: WHO

The World Health Organization (WHO) voiced concern on Monday that the wearing of medical masks by the general public could exacerbate the shortage for health workers on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic. It said lockdowns in many places are proving effective in dampening spread of the coronavirus but any lifting of restrictions requires a calibrated, step-wise approach based on data.

India lifts restrictions on 24 drug exports amid coronavirus

India, the world's main supplier of generic drugs, has lifted restrictions on the export of 24 pharmaceutical ingredients and medicines made from them, the government said in a statement. It had imposed the restrictions last month as the coronavirus outbreak disrupted global supply chains. Paracetamol, a common pain reliever, and its formulations were not included in the list of drugs freed up for export.

From filmmaker to medicine courier: volunteers helped Wuhan's virus fight

While most people in the Chinese city of Wuhan were hunkered down in their homes at the height of the country's coronavirus outbreak, Lin Wenhua was out on the empty streets in his car, driving toward the next person or task on his list. Sometimes it would be a request to take a doctor to the hospital, the 38-year-old filmmaker recalled. Once, he was asked to help drive a pet-sitter to a friend's house.