Health News Roundup: Coronavirus pandemic now driven by younger adults; France to make masks compulsory in most workplaces and more

Brazil approves human trials for potential Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine Brazil's health regulator Anvisa on Tuesday said it had approved stage 3 clinical trials for a potential COVID-19 vaccine developed by Johnson & Johnson's pharmaceutical subsidiary Janssen. Brazil is the second-worst hit country for coronavirus cases and deaths after the United States, leading many companies to seek out clinical trials here.

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

Connecticut to unveil results of inquiry into virus-hit nursing homes

Connecticut on Tuesday will release the results of an independent review of its early approach to nursing homes ravaged by the coronavirus pandemic, tackling the source of most of its deaths and the main blight on its COVID-19 response. The review comes as Connecticut and other northeastern states like New York appear to have gained control over the virus, with infection rates among the lowest in the country and below thresholds for opening of schools.

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.

Queues form at Italian COVID-19 test centres as holidaymakers return

Travellers returning to Italy from Greece, Spain, Malta and Croatia lined up on Tuesday at centres across Rome to be tested for coronavirus after the health ministry imposed mandatory screening on visitors to the four countries. Since some Italian airports are still not offering on site tests, people have been forced to attend local screening centres to comply with the regulation passed last week.

Study links COVID-19 to rise in childhood type 1 diabetes

Cases of type 1 diabetes among children in a small UK study almost doubled during the peak of Britain's COVID-19 epidemic, suggesting a possible link between the two diseases that needs more investigation, scientists said on Tuesday. While the study is based on only a handful of cases, it is the first to link COVID-19 and new-onset type 1 diabetes in children, and doctors should be on the look-out, the Imperial College London researchers said.

What you need to know about the coronavirus right now

Here's what you need to know about the coronavirus right now: Coronavirus mutation Australia signs deal with AstraZeneca for possible COVID-19 vaccine

Australia has signed a deal with drugmaker AstraZeneca to secure a potential COVID-19 vaccine, the Prime Minister said on Tuesday, joining a growing list of countries lining up supplies of the drug. AstraZeneca's candidate is seen as a frontrunner in the global race to deliver an effective vaccine against the coronavirus that has killed more than 770,000 people and infected nearly 22 million, according to a Reuters tally.

Vanda's experimental COVID-19 drug shows promise in interim trial data

COVID-19 patients with pneumonia improved faster when treated with Vanda Pharmaceuticals Inc's experimental therapy than those on placebo, the company said on Tuesday, citing an interim analysis of data from a late-stage study. Shares of the U.S. drug developer rose nearly 10% before the opening bell.

Brazil approves human trials for potential Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine

Brazil's health regulator Anvisa on Tuesday said it had approved stage 3 clinical trials for a potential COVID-19 vaccine developed by Johnson & Johnson's pharmaceutical subsidiary Janssen. Brazil is the second-worst hit country for coronavirus cases and deaths after the United States, leading many companies to seek out clinical trials here. The Johnson & Johnson vaccine candidate is the fourth to be approved for human trials in Brazil, Anvisa said in its statement.

France to make masks compulsory in most workplaces

The French government plans to make wearing a mask compulsory in the vast majority of workplaces to try to stop a resurgence of the COVID-19 pandemic. The labour ministry said the new arrangement would apply to all shared spaces in offices and factories, but would not extend to individual offices where only one employee is present.

Coronavirus pandemic now driven by younger adults: WHO

The World Health Organization (WHO) said on Tuesday it was concerned that the novel coronavirus spread was being driven by people in their 20s, 30s and 40s, many of whom were unaware they were infected, posing a danger to vulnerable groups. WHO officials said this month the proportion of younger people among those infected had risen globally, putting at risk vulnerable sectors of the population worldwide, including the elderly and sick people in densely populated areas with weak health services.