Health News Roundup: AstraZeneca in first COVID-19 vaccine deal with a Chinese company; England's COVID-19 spread slows and more

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

AstraZeneca in first COVID-19 vaccine deal with a Chinese company

Shenzhen Kangtai Biological Products will produce AstraZeneca Plc's potential COVID-19 vaccine in mainland China, the British drugmaker said on Thursday, its first deal to supply one of the world's most populous countries. The deal underscores Astra's frontrunner position in a global race to deliver an effective vaccine, given that Chinese ventures are leading at least eight of the 26 global vaccine development projects currently testing on humans.

England's COVID-19 spread slows, Imperial College study shows

The spread of the novel coronavirus in England slowed in June and early July, according to an Imperial College study of 150,000 volunteers. "As the SARS-CoV-2 epidemic in England transitioned out of its initial lockdown phase, the prevalence of swab-positivity continued to decrease," the so-called Real-time Assessment of Community Transmission study found.

Vietnam reports 34 more coronavirus infections, two new deaths

Vietnam's health ministry reported 34 more coronavirus infections and two additional deaths on Thursday, bringing the total number of cases in the Southeast Asian country to 747, with 10 fatalities. Most of the new cases are linked to the central city of Danang, where the new outbreak began late last month.

What you need to know about the coronavirus right now

Here's what you need to know about the coronavirus right now: Trump social media posts pulled Fauci expects tens of millions of coronavirus vaccine doses at start of 2021

Drugmakers will likely have tens of millions of doses of coronavirus vaccines in the early part of next year, Anthony Fauci, the top U.S. infectious diseases official, said in a Reuters interview on Wednesday, offering a more conservative view of the ramp-up than some Trump administration officials. Fauci said there could be a billion vaccine doses available by the end of 2021, and that he is hopeful the world could get past the pandemic that has claimed more than 700,000 lives worldwide by then, with the help of a vaccine.

Exclusive: Fauci says regulators promise politics will not guide vaccine timing

U.S. regulators have assured scientists that political pressure will not determine when a coronavirus vaccine is approved even as the White House hopes to have one ready ahead of the November presidential election, the country's leading infectious diseases expert Anthony Fauci said on Wednesday. "We have assurances, and I've discussed this with the regulatory authorities, that they promise that they are not going to let political considerations interfere with a regulatory decision," Dr. Fauci told Reuters in an interview.

Germany fights virus uptick with mandatory testing for travelers

Germany announced mandatory tests for travelers returning from high-risk regions after new coronavirus cases breached the 1,000-a-day threshold for the first time since May, fuelling fears of a return to an economically disruptive lockdown. Health Minister Jens Spahn said on Thursday free compulsory testing would be in force from Saturday after the Robert Koch Institute, Germany's public health agency, reported 1,045 new cases in a single day. Why the coronavirus is killing so many of Mexico's healthcare workers

When the coronavirus epidemic began to intensify in Mexico at the end of March, Doctor Jose Garcia said his bosses at a public trauma hospital in Mexico City denied his request for masks, gloves, and disinfectants. They argued such protective equipment was only necessary for those working directly with coronavirus patients, Garcia said. Unconvinced, he bought it himself.

Human trials of coronavirus vaccine set to begin in Indonesia

Human trials on a potential coronavirus vaccine are due to start in Indonesia next week as part of a collaboration between state-owned pharmaceutical company Bio Farma and China's Sinovac Biotech Ltd, a senior researcher said. The launch of the vaccine trial comes as Indonesia has struggled to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus, with a consistently escalating number of cases.

10 countries account for 80% of Africa COVID-19 testing - Africa CDC

Ten countries account for 80% of the new coronavirus testing taking place across Africa, a regional body said on Thursday, indicating that little testing is taking place in many countries around the vast continent. COVID-19 confirmed cases across Africa have accelerated and are close to hitting a million this week, and experts say low levels of testing in many countries mean infection rates are likely to be higher than reported.