Health News Roundup: China mystery virus claims the sixth victim; Ukraine reports first H5 bird flu and more

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

Parents think teens spend too much time playing video games

Most American parents think their teens spend too much time playing video games, but many of them also believe this is typical adolescent behavior, a U.S. study suggests. A whopping 86% of parents "agreed" or "strongly agreed" their teens spend too much time gaming, according to a new report from the University of Michigan's C.S. Mott Children's Hospital National Poll.

ICU death rate higher in hospitals primarily serving minorities

Death rates have been declining for critically ill patients in intensive care units (ICUs), but a new U.S. study suggests gains have been limited at hospitals with large numbers of minority patients. Data on almost 1.1 million ICU patients at more than 200 hospitals from 2006 to 2016 show a steady annual 2% decline in ICU death rates at hospitals with few minority patients, but not at hospitals where at least one-fourth of patients were Hispanic or African-American.

Women rarely regret the decision to get an abortion

Five years after an abortion, most women still say it was the right decision even if they struggled with their choice at the time, a U.S. study suggests. Researchers surveyed 667 women who had abortions in 21 states a week after they had the procedures and then once every six months for five years. By the end of that period, 84% of women had either positive or neutral feelings about their choice.

Australia to screen some China flights warns new virus difficult to stop

Australia will begin screening passengers arriving from a Chinese city in a bid to stop the spread of a new virus, the country's chief medical officer said on Tuesday, although authorities warned that an outbreak would be hard to prevent. Chinese authorities have confirmed more than 200 people have caught the coronavirus, which can cause a type of pneumonia that has killed four people in the central city of Wuhan.

New H5N6 bird flu hits swans in China's Xinjiang: ministry

China's agriculture ministry said on Tuesday it had found the highly pathogenic H5N6 strain of avian flu in swans in its western Xinjiang region. The case is the fourth month of the strain in swans in Xinjiang.

Posthumous sperm donation should be allowed, say UK experts

Men in Britain should be allowed to donate sperm after they die to meet growing demand from couples seeking fertility treatment, medical experts say. Posthumous sperm donation is technically feasible and morally acceptable, the specialists said in a review published in the Journal of Medical Ethics on Tuesday. They argue it should be seen as organ and other tissue donations as a way of relieving the suffering of others.

Ukraine reports first H5 bird flu case in three years: OIE

Ukraine has reported an outbreak of highly pathogenic bird flu on a farm in the west-central part of the country, the first of such outbreak in nearly three years, the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) said on Monday. Citing a report from Ukraine's veterinary services, the Paris-based OIE said the virus was of serotype H5 but gave no further detail.

BeiGene lung cancer treatment meets main goal in a late-stage study

BeiGene Ltd said on Tuesday its cancer therapy combination for treating lung cancer in previously untreated patients met the main goal in a late-stage study. The therapy, tislelizumab, when administered in combination with chemotherapy helped reduce the risk of cancer progression in patients with squamous non-small cell lung cancer.

Germany and Poland discuss new action to prevent swine fever

Germany and Poland are discussing new action to prevent the spread of the pig disease African swine fever (ASF) in wild boars in Poland close to the German border including border fences and increased hunting of the animals, Germany’s agriculture ministry said on Tuesday. Poland recorded 55 outbreaks of ASF in wild boars in December, the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) said. The disease was found only 30 kilometers from Germany, one of Europe's major pork exporters.

China mystery virus claims the sixth victim as holiday travel stokes risk

The death toll from a mysterious flu-like virus in China climbed to six on Tuesday as new cases surged beyond 300 and authorities fretted about the added risk from millions of Chinese traveling for the Lunar New Year holiday. Round the world, airports tightened the screening of travelers from China as officials confirmed the coronavirus strain is contagious between humans.

(With inputs from agencies.)