Reuters Health News Summary

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

UK's new COVID measures met with scepticism, confusion

The British government on Wednesday defended its new, stricter coronavirus measures against criticism that they did not got far enough, saying it was trying to balance supporting the economy while protecting health. Prime Minister Boris Johnson told citizens on Tuesday to work from home if possible and ordered restaurants and bars to close early, in an effort to slow a fast-spreading second wave of COVID-19, saying restrictions would likely last six months.

Czechs pay for summer of fun with new restrictions as coronavirus cases soar

In June, hundreds of Czechs sat down along a 500-metre table on Prague's Charles Bridge to celebrate overcoming the coronavirus pandemic with little loss of life. Three months later, the country has Europe's second-fastest pace of new cases, hospitals are filling up and authorities are racing to catch up.

UK to host 'human challenge' trials for COVID-19 vaccines - FT

Britain is planning to host clinical trials where volunteers are deliberately infected with the new coronavirus to test the effectiveness of vaccine candidates, the Financial Times reported on Wednesday, citing people involved in the project. So-called "challenge trials" are expected to begin in January at a quarantine facility in London, the report https://on.ft.com/2G5o0jP said, adding that about 2,000 participants had signed up through a U.S.-based advocacy group, 1Day Sooner. (https://on.ft.com/2G5o0jP)

Most Americans to be vaccinated for COVID-19 by July, CDC chief expects

A top U.S. health official told a U.S. Senate committee on Wednesday that he expects COVID-19 vaccinations to take place over many months and that most Americans could be vaccinated by July of 2021 at the latest. U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention head Robert Redfield said he expects there to be about 700 million doses of vaccines available by late March or April, enough for 350 million people.

Canada's COVID-19 testing system overwhelmed after slow move to new tests

Canada's recent spike in COVID-19 cases has created day-long lines at testing centers and prolonged waits for results, highlighting gaps in a system that leans heavily on traditional laboratory tests in a nation that has been slow to adopt newer, faster diagostic technologies. While other countries have approved new ways to test for COVID-19 in recent months, like rapid point-of-care tests, much of Canada stuck with the basics: deep nasal swabs collected by healthcare workers and sent off to labs.

U.S. CDC reports 200,275 coronavirus deaths

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Wednesday reported 6,874,982 cases of the new coronavirus, an increase of 49,285 cases from its previous count, and said that the number of deaths had risen by 813 to 200,275. The CDC reported its tally of cases of the respiratory illness known as COVID-19, caused by the new coronavirus, as of 4 p.m. ET on Sept. 22 compared with its previous report a day earlier.(https://bit.ly/2FWikc8)

EU close to concluding preliminary talks with Novavax on COVID vaccine supply: source

Brussels is close to wrapping up preliminary talks with U.S. vaccine maker Novavax for its potential COVID-19 shot, an EU source involved in the negotiations said, as the bloc ramps up its push in the global race to secure supplies. The move is meant to expand to seven the portfolio of vaccines the 27-country bloc, with a population of 450 million, wants to secure. It would bring doses potentially available to EU countries to more than 2 billion.

Possible virus vulnerability discovered; about 20% of people with COVID-19 remain asymptomatic

The following is a roundup of some of the latest scientific studies on the novel coronavirus and efforts to find treatments and vaccines for COVID-19, the illness caused by the virus. "Pocket" in virus' spike protein could be treatment target

J&J kicks off study of single-shot COVID-19 vaccine in 60,000 volunteers

Johnson & Johnson on Wednesday began a 60,000-person trial of an experimental single-shot COVID-19 vaccine that, if proven effective, could simplify distribution of millions of doses compared with leading rivals requiring two doses. The company expects results of the Phase III trial by year end or early next year, Dr. Paul Stoffels, J&J's chief scientific officer, said in a joint news conference with officials from the National Institutes of Health and the Trump administration.

New York City moves to curb COVID-19 spread in new clusters

New York City officials said on Wednesday they were working to address a rise in COVID-19 cases in parts of Brooklyn and Queens that was raising "a lot of concern." Mayor Bill de Blasio said the new outbreaks, including a large cluster in three Brooklyn neighborhoods, accounted for about 20% of confirmed positive cases citywide.