Health News Roundup: Global records Opening up without control; France new COVID infections down and more

Iowa leads the nation with cases rising by more than 8,000 in the past week, or 116%, according to a Reuters tally of state and county reports. The CDC reported its tally of cases of the respiratory illness known as COVID-19, caused by a new coronavirus, as of 4 p.m. ET on Aug. 30 versus its previous report released on Sunday.

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

What you need to know about the coronavirus right now

Here's what you need to know about the coronavirus right now:

Global records Opening up without control of COVID-19 is recipe for disaster, says WHO

Countries with significant active spread of coronavirus must prevent amplifying events, as opening up without the virus being under control would be a "recipe for disaster", the World Health Organization said on Monday. WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus recognised that many people are getting tired of restrictions and want to return to normality eight months into the pandemic.

France new COVID-19 infections down but hospitalisations up

French health authorities reported 3,082 new COVID-19 infections over the past 24 hours, sharply down from a caseload of above 5,000 each on the two previous days, but the Monday figure always tends to dip as there are less tests conducted on Sundays. The seven-day moving average of new infections, which smoothes out reporting irregularities, stood at 5,167, reaching a new record for a fourth day in a row, versus a low of 272 on May 27, two weeks after the country ended its two-months long lockdown.

Emergency authorisation of COVID-19 vaccines needs great care: WHO

The emergency authorisation of COVID-19 vaccines requires a "great deal of seriousness and reflection", the World Health Organization said on Monday after the United States announced it was considering fast-tracking candidate drugs. Although every country had the right to approve drugs without completing full trials, "it is not something that you do very lightly", WHO chief scientist Soumya Swaminathan told a news conference.

COVID-19 often goes undiagnosed in hospital workers; virus may impair heart functions

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. COVID-19 often undiagnosed in frontline hospital workers.

New COVID-19 cases surge in U.S. Midwest, weekly deaths down nationally

Several U.S. Midwestern states are experiencing rising numbers of COVID-19 cases and positive test results, some linked to colleges reopening and others stemming from an annual motorcycle rally in Sturgis, South Dakota. Iowa leads the nation with cases rising by more than 8,000 in the past week, or 116%, according to a Reuters tally of state and county reports. At the same time, positive test rates in Iowa shot up to 24% from 13% the prior week.

U.S. CDC reports 182,622 deaths from coronavirus

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said on Monday the number of deaths due to the coronavirus had risen by 473 to 182,622 and reported 5,972,356 cases, an increase of 37,532 from its previous count. The CDC reported its tally of cases of the respiratory illness known as COVID-19, caused by a new coronavirus, as of 4 p.m. ET on Aug. 30 versus its previous report released on Sunday. (https://bit.ly/2DT7ymp)

New Jersey, California allow some indoor dining to resume

New Jersey and California on Monday took a big step toward resumption of their pre-pandemic economies by allowing restaurants to begin limited indoor dining, as new coronavirus cases abated nationwide even as some new hotspots emerged. The two states are among the few that have continued to ban indoor dining while most others have lifted restrictions, according to the National Governors Association.

Scientists see downsides to top COVID-19 vaccines from Russia, China

High-profile COVID-19 vaccines developed in Russia and China share a potential shortcoming: They are based on a common cold virus that many people have been exposed to, potentially limiting their effectiveness, some experts say. CanSino Biologics' vaccine, approved for military use in China, is a modified form of adenovirus type 5, or Ad5. The company is in talks to get emergency approval in several countries before completing large-scale trials, the Wall Street Journal reported last week.

CABEI approves $400 million loan to Central American nations for coronavirus vaccine

The Central American Bank for Economic Integration (CABEI) has approved a $400 million loan to regional nations and the Dominican Republic for the acquisition and distribution of a coronavirus vaccine, the bank said in a statement on Monday.