Health Highlights: March 24, 2020

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Here are some of the latest health and medical news developments, compiled by the editors of HealthDay:

Shortages Seen of Drugs That Show Promise Against Coronavirus

Strong demand for medications that show promise as treatments for coronavirus have led to shortages of those drugs in the United States.

The antiviral drug remedisivir is one of those medications. It’s made by California-based Gilead Sciences, which noted “an exponential increase in compassionate use requests. This has flooded an emergency treatment access system,” CBS News reported.

That overwhelming demand forced the company to put remdesivir on hold for compassionate use.

Another drug that’s shown promise against coronavirus is hydroxychloroquine, and lupus patients who rely on the drug are now facing dangerous shortages.

“If people without symptoms are hoarding this medication, it means many lives may potentially be lost,” Brooklyn Dr. Jinesh Patel told CBS News.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is allowing more testing of drugs that may be effective against the coronavirus, and those on the front lines of the battle against the pandemic are eager for such testing to begin.

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University Students in Florida Test Positive for Coronavirus After Spring Break

The University of Tampa says at least five of its students have tested positive for coronavirus after spring break.

Last Friday, the university said a student who lives off-campus tested positive for the virus. A day later, the university confirmed that five students who traveled with a large group of students during spring break had tested positive, CBS News reported.

On March 17, the university moved all of its classes online, but some students still had close contact with each other during the spring break and in the university’s residential halls, which remained open.

Many Americans have ignored recommendations to avoid gatherings of more than 10 people, including crowds of spring break revelers in Florida, CBS News reported.

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