Health News Roundup: 5% Spanish population exposed to coronavirus; CureVac nets EU funding and more

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

Spanish antibody study shows 5% of population exposed to coronavirus

Results from the final stage of a nationwide antibody study show some 5.2% of Spain's population has been exposed to the new coronavirus, health officials said on Monday, confirming findings from earlier stages. The study, which tested nearly 70,000 people across Spain three times over the past three months, found the virus' prevalence had not altered significantly since preliminary results were published in May.

Qatar coronavirus cases exceed 100,000, Kuwait tops 50,000

The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Qatar exceeded 100,000 and Kuwait surpassed 50,000 on Monday, their health ministries said. Qatar, which has seen its daily case numbers fall from a peak of 2,355 in late May, added 546 new cases and five deaths in the past 24 hours to give a total of 133 deaths and 100,345 cases in total.

CureVac nets EU funding to ramp up vaccine production

German biotech company CureVac, which is developing a potential COVID-19 vaccine, has secured a 75 million euro ($85 million) loan from the European Investment Bank to boost its manufacturing capacity. The company, which is planning an initial public offering in the United States this month, said on Monday the loan will help it invest in its so-called messenger RNA approach technology and help it speed up construction of a fourth production site at its headquarters in Tuebingen, Germany.

Make a vaccine? I'm trying to teach my kids the alphabet

It's tough to do any useful work when you're stuck at home, struggling to home-school bickering kids, let alone when you're trying to produce a COVID-19 vaccine. British drugmaker AstraZeneca had spent years preparing for a pandemic, but when the moment finally came it was caught cold on a crucial front: stressed parents working from home struggled to focus.

U.S. regulator greenlights Becton Dickinson's rapid antigen test for COVID-19

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has granted emergency use authorization (EUA) to Becton Dickinson and Co for a COVID-19 antigen test that can be administered at the point of care and produce results within 15 minutes, the company said on Monday. Antigen tests are a relatively new type of test for COVID-19 that work by scanning for proteins that can be found on or inside a virus.

Rising coronavirus cases in 39 U.S. states cast shadow over July 4 celebrations

Rising coronavirus cases in 39 U.S. states cast a shadow over the nation's Fourth of July celebrations as health experts worried that holiday parties will cause a further spike in infections that could overwhelm hospitals. After towns and cities across the country canceled annual fireworks displays to avoid large crowds gathering, many Americans launched bottle rockets and roman candles from streets and suburban backyards to commemorate Independence Day.

Mylan to launch generic remdesivir version in India at $64 per 100 mg vial

Drugmaker Mylan NV said on Monday it would launch its generic version of Gilead Sciences Inc's COVID-19 treatment remdesivir in India this month at 4,800 rupees ($64.31) per 100 mg vial, as infections surge in the world's third worst-hit country. The Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) approved Mylan's remdesivir version, to be called Desrem, for the treatment of suspected or laboratory confirmed severe incidences of COVID-19 in adults and children, the company said in a statement.

Emergent signs five-year deal backing J&J COVID-19 vaccine

Emergent BioSolutions Inc said on Monday it signed a five-year contract to make the drug substance used in Johnson & Johnson's COVID-19 vaccine candidate, adding to a series of deals likely to put it at the heart of future global vaccine production. Under the deal, starting next year Emergent will provide large-scale manufacturing services to produce the drug substance over five years, with the first two years valued at about $480 million.

Vietnam reports 14 new COVID-19 cases, all imported

Vietnam's health ministry on Monday reported 14 new coronavirus infections, all among Vietnamese citizens held in quarantine upon their arrival from overseas. The Southeast Asian country has been 81 days without a domestically transmitted infection due to successful programs to contain the virus. It has yet to report any deaths from the coronavirus and has confirmed 369 cases in total, over 90% of which have recovered.

Hundreds of scientists say coronavirus is airborne, ask WHO to revise recommendations: NYT

Hundreds of scientists say there is evidence that the novel coronavirus in smaller particles in the air can infect people and are calling for the World Health Organization to revise recommendations, the New York Times reported on Saturday. The WHO has said the coronavirus disease spreads primarily from person to person through small droplets from the nose or mouth, which are expelled when a person with COVID-19 coughs, sneezes or speaks.