Reuters Health News Summary
Following is a summary of current health news briefs.
Israel OKs use of generic Abbott drug to treat coronavirus despite patent
Israel's attorney general on Thursday approved for the first time the use of a generic version of a patent-protected drug to treat coronavirus patients. The anti-viral drug Kaltera, produced by Abbott Laboratories, is a treatment for HIV but Israel's Health Ministry found it could be a possible treatment for COVID-19 and a preliminary permit for the drug was issued.
Roche test Actemra in coronavirus patients as firms re-purpose drugs
Roche will test its arthritis drug Actemra in patients with coronavirus-linked pneumonia, the Swiss drugmaker said on Thursday, joining other pharmaceutical companies seeking to re-purpose existing medicines to fight the epidemic. Roche's trial, targeting 330 patients globally and due to start in early April, follows similar efforts by China in trying out the decade old anti-inflammation drug to help patients whose bodies are having a severe reaction after infection with the virus.
Two generic drugs being tested in U.S. in race to find coronavirus treatments
U.S. researchers, following the lead of scientists in other countries, have launched studies to see whether widely-available, low-cost generic drugs can be used to help treat the illness caused by the new coronavirus. There are currently no vaccines or treatments for the highly-contagious COVID-19 respiratory illness, so patients can only receive supportive care for now.
Rich world pumps aid to fight virus, Britain latest to face lockdown
The world's wealthiest nations poured unprecedented aid into the reeling global economy on Thursday as coronavirus cases ballooned in the current epicentre Europe and London became the latest major center bracing for lockdown. With almost 219,000 infections and more than 8,900 deaths so far, the epidemic has stunned the world and drawn comparisons with traumatic periods such as World War Two, the 2008 financial crisis and the 1918 Spanish flu.
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Some 60,000 California homeless could get coronavirus in coming weeks, governor says
Modeling has shown that more than 60,000 homeless people could become ill with the coronavirus in California over the next eight weeks, badly straining the healthcare system, the state governor said on Wednesday. Hospitalization rates for those infected with the flu-like disease was about 20%, creating a requirement for additional hospital beds that could quickly overwhelm hospitals if the modeled predictions come true, Governor Gavin Newsom said.
Indonesia calls for more coronavirus testing as deaths climb
Faced by a rising death toll from coronavirus and a big jump in infections, Indonesia's president on Thursday called for testing to be stepped up immediately in the world's fourth most populous country. Less than three weeks since the country of more than 260 million announced its first case of the virus, its death toll had reached 25 - higher than in any other Southeast Asian country.
U.S. approves Abbott coronavirus test; company set to ship 150,000
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Wednesday granted Abbott Laboratories approval to sell a test for the new coronavirus, as more companies begin producing much needed diagnostics for the pathogen that has set off a global pandemic. The tests will help meet a major U.S. shortfall of diagnostic capabilities that has severely limited the nation's ability to track the spread of the outbreak.
Faced with shortages, EU plans stockpiling medical gear
The European Commission decided on Thursday to set up a stockpile of face masks, intensive care equipment and other essential medical gear to tackle shortages in Europe in the face of booming demand caused by the coronavirus crisis. The measure comes after EU countries failed for weeks to find a seller of face masks and goggles after they launched a joint procurement for these items at the beginning of March.
China reports no new local coronavirus transmissions for first time
China and the epicenter of its coronavirus outbreak, Wuhan city, have reported no new domestic transmissions for the first time, raising hopes that strict containment efforts to stop the spread of the virus are working. Wuhan, locked down since Jan. 23, is currently the only city in Hubei province still designated "high-risk" and subject to strict travel bans, even as restrictions across the rest of the country have loosened in recent weeks.
