Reuters Health News Summary

Trial results announced on Tuesday by researchers in Britain showed dexamethasone, used since the 1960s to reduce inflammation in diseases such as arthritis, cut death rates by around a third among the most severely ill COVID-19 patients admitted to hospital.

Following is a summary of current health news briefs. Show me the data: U.S. doctors skeptical of reported COVID breakthrough

The report on Tuesday of a powerful treatment for the new coronavirus brought skepticism along with optimism among U.S. doctors, who said the recent withdrawal of an influential COVID-19 study left them wanting to see more data. Global pressure to find a cure or vaccine has accelerated the process of reporting coronavirus study results, feeding confusion over whether therapies have been proven effective. One influential COVID study was withdrawn this month by respected British medical journal The Lancet over data concerns. EU calls for global alliance to buy COVID-19 vaccines up front

The European Commission called on Wednesday for global leaders to cooperate to buy bulk quantities of potential COVID-19 vaccines, to avoid "harmful competition" in the race for a shot and ensure any future vaccine is available for poor countries. With around a dozen potential vaccines now in human trials, rich countries have been rushing to buy up doses in advance from pharmaceutical companies, to make sure they will have enough supply should any prove successful. 'Best news so far': UK hails steroid treatment for coronavirus

Britain's health minister on Wednesday hailed the use of a steroid called dexamethasone for treating coronavirus patients as the best news so far of the outbreak. Trial results announced on Tuesday showed dexamethasone, which is used to reduce inflammation in other diseases such as arthritis, reduced death rates by around a third among the most severely ill COVID-19 patients admitted to hospital. WHO moves to update COVID-19 guidance after 'great news' in drug study

The World Health Organization (WHO) said it was moving to update its guidelines on treating people stricken with COVID-19 to reflect results of a clinical trial that showed a cheap, common steroid can help save critically ill patients. Trial results announced on Tuesday by researchers in Britain showed dexamethasone, used since the 1960s to reduce inflammation in diseases such as arthritis, cut death rates by around a third among the most severely ill COVID-19 patients admitted to hospital. Mink at Danish farm to be culled after catching coronavirus

Mink at a farm in Denmark were found to be infected with the new coronavirus and all 11,000 of the animals there will have to be culled, Danish authorities said on Wednesday. The outbreak is the first in Denmark, the world’s largest producer of mink skins, but comes shortly after the virus was found at 13 mink farms in the Netherlands, where about 570,000 mink have been ordered culled. EU proposes emergency leeway on gene engineering rules for coronavirus vaccines

The European Commission proposed on Wednesday to temporarily relax rules on trials of drugs involving genetically engineered organisms as an emergency measure to speed the development of a vaccine against the new coronavirus. The proposal is part of a wider EU strategy, which also includes investing around 2 billion euros ($2.3 billion) for the advance purchase of vaccines under development, in a bid to secure enough doses for the bloc as it fears lagging behind the United States and China. What you need to know about the coronavirus right now

Here's what you need to know about the coronavirus right now: Grim statistics CureVac starts trial of experimental coronavirus vaccine, eyes launch next year

Unlisted German biotech firm CureVac will become the second company after rival BioNTech to launch human trials of an experimental coronavirus vaccine in the country, eyeing a potential approval in mid-2021. The trial launch, first reported by Reuters on Tuesday, will see 144 participants in Germany and Belgium receive different dosages of the vaccine and a further 24 getting a placebo. UK now has 240,000 doses of dexamethasone in stock or on order - health minister

Britain has increased the amount of dexamethasone it has in stock and on order to 240,000 doses, health minister Matt Hancock said on Wednesday, after a preliminary trial result showed it reduced mortality in the most severe COVID-19 cases. Britain swiftly backed the steroid drug after University of Oxford researchers announced preliminary results of their trial on Tuesday, saying it had amassed a stockpile of 200,000 courses of the drug. No need to stockpile COVID-19 steroid drug dexamethasone: Germany

There is no reason to stockpile the generic steroid drug dexamethasone, a German health ministry spokesman said on Wednesday, after British trial data showed it reduced death rates among patients with the most severe COVID-19 infections.