Blogroll

The head of Russia's consumer health watchdog said on Wednesday that a non-working week declared by President Vladimir Putin to stem the spread of the coronavirus should be extended beyond this week, the Interfax news agency reported.

A team of Chinese scientists has isolated several antibodies that it says are "extremely effective" at blocking the ability of the new coronavirus to enter cells, which eventually could be helpful in treating or preventing COVID-19.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said on Wednesday it was requesting makers of all versions of heartburn drug Zantac to remove the drugs from the market immediately due to the presence of a probable carcinogen.

The U.S. House of Representatives on Friday approved a $2.2 trillion aid package - the largest in history - to help cope with the economic downturn inflicted by the intensifying coronavirus pandemic, and President Donald Trump quickly signed it into law.

Laboratories across Europe can now access control material to enable them to avoid mistakenly telling people they are free of the coronavirus when in fact they are infected, the European Commission said on Wednesday.

The European Union's drug regulator warned on Wednesday that two older malaria drugs being tested against coronavirus disease (COVID-19) should only be used in trials or national emergency use programmes, citing side effects and uncertain efficacy.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said malaria drugs hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine are in shortage due to a surge in demand because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Thailand's anti-monopoly watchdog warned food delivery platforms on Wednesday they could face fines for charging higher commissions as online food orders surge amid the coronavirus outbreak.

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

The world's biggest maker of medical gloves is grappling with a serious shortage of workers as it tries to meet a huge surge in demand as countries such as the United States run out of personal protective gear due to the coronavirus outbreak.

China reported dwindling new infections on Wednesday in the global coronavirus pandemic and started to publish the daily change in cases that are free of symptoms, although the latter could complicate the picture of trends in the disease.

Indonesia will by next week open a new coronavirus emergency hospital on the uninhabited island of Galang, where authorities have repurposed a former Vietnam war era refugee camp as part of efforts to rapidly augment healthcare capacities.

Beijing is stepping up its oversight of exports of coronavirus test kits after several European countries complained about the accuracy of some Chinese-made tests.

South Korea has received requests from 121 countries for help with coronavirus testing, a foreign ministry official said on Wednesday, as authorities around the world come under intense pressure to curb the spread of the disease.

The number of cases of coronavirus in Spain surpassed 100,000 on Wednesday while the number of fatalities reported overnight reached a new record, the country's health ministry said.

Iran's death toll from the new coronavirus has reached 3,036, with 138 deaths in the past 24 hours, Health Ministry spokesman Kianush Jahanpur told state TV on Wednesday, adding that the country had 47,593 infected cases.

European scientists and technologists will launch a joint initiative on Wednesday to support the use of digital applications in the fight against coronavirus while complying with the region's tough privacy laws.

European scientists and technologists will launch a joint initiative on Wednesday to support the use of digital applications in the fight against coronavirus while complying with the region's tough privacy laws.

Measures to limit the coronavirus outbreak in the Netherlands appear to have halved the rate of infection but need to be continued to be really effective, the country's top official for infectious diseases said on Wednesday.

A U.S. appeals court on Tuesday allowed Texas to enforce limits at least temporarily on the ability of women to obtain abortions as part of the state's policy requiring the postponement of non-urgent medical procedures during the coronavirus pandemic.