Following is a summary of current health news briefs. U.S. states seek $26.4 billion from drug firms in opioid litigation: WSJ

U.S. states are seeking a combined $26.4 billion from three major drug distributors and Johnson & Johnson to settle opioid litigation against the companies, the Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday, citing people familiar with the matter. About a dozen attorneys general are seeking a collective $21.14 billion from the distributors, which include McKesson Corp, Amerisourcebergen and Cardinal Health, and $5.28 billion from J&J, the WSJ reported https://www.wsj.com/articles/states-seek-26-4-billion-from-drug-companies-in-opioid-litigation-11597743000?mod=searchresults&page=1&pos=2. New York University students queue up for coronavirus tests

Hundreds of New York University students and staff waited in line outside a white tent on Tuesday for coronavirus testing ahead of some classes resuming in early September, a scene expected to unfold on many U.S. campuses in coming weeks. NYU is testing students who have chosen in-person learning, with classes for undergraduates beginning on Sept. 2. The university, housed in hundreds of buildings across lower Manhattan, is also giving students the options of remote learning or a blended program between the two. What you need to know about the coronavirus right now

Here’s what you need to know about the coronavirus right now: Coronavirus mutation New York charges Teva, Allergan with insurance fraud over opioid claims

New York state filed civil charges on Tuesday accusing Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd and Allergan Plc with insurance fraud for downplaying the risks of their opioid painkillers to patients and doctors. Governor Andrew Cuomo said the charges by New York’s Department of Financial Services are the third this year in that regulator’s opioid industry probe, following charges against Endo International Plc and Mallinckrodt Plc. Venezuela baseball league warns season could be suspended due to COVID-19

Venezuela’s professional baseball league (LVBP) warned on Tuesday that its 2020-2021 season could be delayed or suspended due to the coronavirus outbreak, furthering complications already added by U.S. sanctions. Baseball is wildly popular in the South American country, and Venezuelan players in Major League Baseball’s (MLB) minor league system frequently return home to play in the LVBP during the MLB off-season beginning in October. COVID-19 pandemic causes mental health crisis in Americas, says WHO official

The COVID-19 pandemic is causing a mental health crisis in the Americas due to heightened stress and use of drugs and alcohol during six months of lockdowns and stay-at-home measures, the World Health Organization’s regional director said on Tuesday. The pandemic also has brought a related problem in a surge in domestic violence against women, Carissa Etienne said in a virtual briefing from the Pan American Health Organization in Washington. Explainer: World Health Organization’s struggle for a global COVID-19 vaccine plan

The World Health Organization (WHO) on Tuesday urged countries to join a global pact aimed at ensuring less wealthy countries have access to COVID-19 vaccines, warning about the risks from so-called “vaccine nationalism.” Here is a look at the WHO’s plan and the approaches by wealthier nations. WHAT IS THE WHO’S VACCINE PROGRAM? U.S. CDC reports 169,870 deaths from coronavirus

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Tuesday said the number of deaths due to the new coronavirus had risen by 520 to 169,870 and reported 5,422,242 cases, an increase of 40,117 cases from its previous count. The CDC reported its tally of cases of the respiratory illness known as COVID-19, caused by a new coronavirus, as of 4 pm ET on Aug. 17 compared with its previous report a day earlier. (https://bit.ly/3ayq6Ei) WHO blasts ‘vaccine nationalism’ in last-ditch push against hoarding

Nations that hoard possible COVID-19 vaccines while excluding others will deepen the pandemic, World Health Organization (WHO) chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on Tuesday, issuing a last-ditch call for countries to join a global vaccine pact. The WHO has an Aug. 31 deadline for wealthier nations to join the “COVAX Global Vaccines Facility” for sharing vaccine hopefuls with developing countries. Tedros said he sent a letter to the WHO’s 194 member states, urging participation. Canada’s hardest-hit province for COVID-19 launches plan to combat second wave

The Canadian province of Quebec on Tuesday announced plans to tackle earlier mistakes in fighting the COVID-19 pandemic, while preparing its health sector against a possible second wave of coronavirus in the autumn. Quebec, once the country’s hardest-hit province for COVID-19, will boost public health sector hiring, reduce screening delays, and ensure staff like orderlies can no longer work at multiple long-term care facilities, a practice previously blamed for spreading the virus, Health Minister Christian Dubé told reporters.