Health

The U.S. death toll from the novel coronavirus on Tuesday exceeded the 58,220 American lives lost during the Vietnam War as cases topped 1 million, according to a Reuters tally.

Three U.S. children infected with the coronavirus are being treated for a rare inflammatory syndrome that appears similar to one that has raised concerns by doctors in Britain, Italy and Spain, a specialist treating the patients told Reuters.

Spain announced a four-phase plan on Tuesday to lift one of the toughest coronavirus lockdowns in Europe and return to normality by the end of June as the daily death toll fell to 301, less than a third of a record high of 950 in early April.

Ireland has failed to reach its target to carry out 100,000 coronavirus tests per week and will not meet it until the week of May 18, three weeks later than planned, a senior health official said on Tuesday.

Peru's health ministry on Tuesday confirmed its toll of coronavirus cases had surpassed 30,000, with 854 associated deaths.

Research from Germany and Italy suggests that footballers and other athletes face a particular risk of the coronavirus infecting their lungs, raising major questions over attempts to restart professional soccer.

Detroit residents waited for hours on Tuesday to get free COVID-19 tests at a new facility that for the first time offered testing to people who did not already have symptoms of the disease and a doctor's authorization for the test.

Deaths from the COVID-19 epidemic in Italy climbed by 382 on Tuesday, against 333 the day before, the Civil Protection Agency said, while the total of people infected since the start of the outbreak topped 200,000.

France's coronavirus death toll closed in on 24,000 Tuesday, as Prime Minister Edouard Philippe detailed the government's plan to start unwinding the lockdown imposed on March 17 to contain the spread of the disease.

Spain announced a four-phase plan on Tuesday to lift one of the toughest coronavirus lockdowns in Europe and return to normality by the end of June.

Britain is on track to record one of the worst coronavirus death tolls in Europe, after data published on Tuesday showed nationwide fatalities topped 24,000 nine days ago.

Some 3.05 million people have been reported to be infected by the novel coronavirus globally and 211,376 have died, according to a Reuters tally, as of 1400 GMT on Tuesday.

Commercial buildings shuttered for weeks to stem the spread of the coronavirus could fuel another grisly lung infection: Legionnaires’ disease.

As more Japanese restaurants shut down and people stay home during the country's state of emergency to fight the coronavirus, experts say rats may be expanding their search for food to deserted streets once crowded with humans.

Britain said on Tuesday it would end support for four projects designed to boost the number of ventilators available in the battle against coronavirus, as it backs eleven other devices.

Britain's coronavirus testing scheme will be opened up to a much wider pool of people including those over the age of 65 with symptoms, and all care home residents, health minister Matt Hancock said on Tuesday.

Some children in the United Kingdom with no underlying health conditions have died from a rare inflammatory syndrome which researchers believe to be linked to COVID-19, Health Secretary Matt Hancock said on Tuesday.

(This April 27 story corrects fourth para to say one-third, not one-quarter, of all cases are in the United States. Corrects fifth para to say one in 15 reported cases has been fatal, not one in seven)

British scientists advising the government have concluded that wearing a face mask has a small effect on stopping a coronavirus carrier from infecting someone else, and the evidence is weak, Deputy Chief Scientific Adviser Angela McLean said on Tuesday.

President Vladimir Putin extended coronavirus lockdown measures for another two weeks on Tuesday, while ordering his government to begin preparations for a gradual lifting of the curbs from mid-May.