Blogroll

A genetic analysis of samples from more than 7,500 people infected with COVID-19 suggests the new coronavirus spread quickly around the world late last year and is adapting to its human hosts, scientists said on Wednesday.

The death toll from the new coronavirus outbreak in Iran rose by 78 in the past 24 hours to 6,418, Health Ministry spokesman Kianush Jahanpur said in a statement on state TV on Wednesday.

U.S. e-cigarette maker Juul Labs said on Wednesday it would end operations in South Korea, a year after it entered the market there but failed to gain traction amid government health warnings.

Indonesia reported 367 new cases of the coronavirus on Wednesday, taking the total to 12,438, said health ministry official Achmad Yurianto.

India will supply Europe with about 1,000 tonnes of the active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) for common pain reliever paracetamol, a top exports body said, easing export controls on over-the counter medicines used to cope with COVID-19 symptoms.

Immunity to the novel coronavirus is building up very slowly in the Czech Republic, with no more than 4-5% of the population likely to be covered, the health ministry said on Wednesday, after mass testing for antibodies that started last month.

Malaysia reported 45 new confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus on Wednesday, taking the cumulative total to 6,428 infections.

Health officials in the U.S. state of Illinois' Cook County, which includes the city of Chicago, will probe deaths involving heart attacks and pneumonia for indications of COVID-19 as far back as November, a county spokeswoman said on Wednesday.

Samsung Group heir Jay Y. Lee, embroiled in a bribery scandal, on Wednesday made a rare apology over controversial succession plans and said he will not hand over management rights to his children at the family-controlled conglomerate.

Finnish telecom equipment maker Nokia said on Wednesday it had issued an offer to buy back for cash its 1% notes due March 15, 2021 for up to 500 million euros.

The Philippines' coronavirus infections have broken past the 10,000 mark, the health ministry said on Wednesday.

Japan's capital of Tokyo reported 38 cases of coronavirus on Wednesday, Jiji news agency said, marking a fifth straight day of declining numbers of new infections.

The world's top maker of diabetes drugs Novo Nordisk beat profit and sales forecasts in the first quarter and kept its full-year outlook as diabetics stocking up during the coronavirus pandemic led to a surge in demand for its medicines.

Australia says its purchase of 10 million coronavirus test kits from Chinese genomics company BGI will not risk patient privacy, as researchers hope for greater price competition in a biotech market dominated by a U.S rival.

The number of new coronavirus cases in Russia rose by 10,559 over the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide tally to 165,929, the coronavirus crisis response centre said on Wednesday.

Immunity to the novel coronavirus is building up very slowly in the Czech Republic, with likely no more than 4-5% of the population covered, the health ministry said on Wednesday, after mass testing for antibodies that started last month.

Singapore's health ministry on Wednesday confirmed 788 new coronavirus cases, taking the city-state's tally to 20,198.

Roche could complete studies of its medicine Actemra in COVID-19 patients as early as this month, the head of the Swiss drugmaker's U.S.-based Genentech unit told a Swiss newspaper, as it seeks to repurpose the rheumatoid arthritis drug.

British medical products maker Smith+Nephew said on Wednesday sales in April nearly halved as more patients delayed elective surgeries, such as hip replacements, due to coronavirus-driven lockdowns.

Here's what you need to know about the coronavirus right now: