Health News Roundup: EU warns against shortening COVID quarantine; White House slams "corrupt" WHO Steroid and more

(https://bit.ly/2YZo5w8) Steroids cut death rates among critically ill COVID-19 patients, major study finds Treating critically ill COVID-19 patients with corticosteroid drugs reduces the risk of death by 20%, an analysis of seven international trials found on Wednesday, prompting the World Health Organisation to update its advice on treatment.

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

EU warns against shortening COVID quarantine as cases in Europe spike

The European Union is warning governments not to reduce the 14-day quarantine for people infected with COVID-19 as some develop the infection even after two weeks, the head of the bloc's health agency said, signalling a new surge in cases in Europe. Germany, the EU's largest country, informed EU authorities that it planned shortening the quarantine length, following similar moves by the Netherlands and Norway, minutes of a late-August meeting show.

What you need to know about the coronavirus right now

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

White House slams "corrupt" WHO Steroids cut COVID-19 death risk; hepatitis C drugs may help fight the coronavirus

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. Steroids reduce death risk from severe COVID-19.

U.S. CDC reports 184,083 deaths from coronavirus

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Wednesday said the number of deaths due to the new coronavirus had risen by 1,033 to 184,083 and reported 6,047,692 cases, an increase of 43,249 cases 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 Sept. 1 compared with its previous report a day earlier.(https://bit.ly/3jCA9eM)

U.S. NIH awards nine companies $129 million to scale up COVID-19 testing

The National Institutes of Health is awarding $129.3 million to nine companies to support scaling-up coronavirus testing and manufacturing new testing technologies, the U.S. health agency said on Wednesday. The funding is part of NIH's Rapid Acceleration of Diagnostics (RADx) initiative that was launched in April to speed up innovation in the development, commercialization, and implementation of technologies for COVID-19 testing. (https://bit.ly/2YZo5w8)

Steroids cut death rates among critically ill COVID-19 patients, major study finds

Treating critically ill COVID-19 patients with corticosteroid drugs reduces the risk of death by 20%, an analysis of seven international trials found on Wednesday, prompting the World Health Organisation to update its advice on treatment. The analysis - which pooled data from separate trials of low dose hydrocortisone, dexamethasone and methylprednisolone - found that steroids improve survival rates of COVID-19 patients sick enough to be in intensive care in hospital.

Fauci says COVID-19 vaccine trial enrollment promising for vaccine decision: MSNBC

Top U.S. infectious disease expert Anthony Fauci said on MSNBC that based on the patient enrollment rate in COVID-19 vaccine trials underway, there could be enough clinical data to know by November or December that one of the vaccines is safe and effective. "Is it conceivable that you could get an answer before then? Yes, it's conceivable," Fauci said.

Wear a mask while having sex, Canada's top doctor suggests

Skip kissing and consider wearing a mask when having sex to protect yourself from catching the coronavirus, Canada's chief medical officer said on Wednesday, adding that going solo remains the lowest risk sexual option in a pandemic. Dr Theresa Tam said in a statement there is little chance of catching COVID-19 from semen or vaginal fluid, but sexual activity with new partners does increase the risk of contracting the virus, particularly if there is close contact like kissing.

U.S. FDA to bring outside experts to review COVID-19 vaccines

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration will organize meetings with an independent group of experts to review data of coronavirus vaccine candidates and advise the agency, FDA commissioner Stephen Hahn said on Wednesday. "The meetings will reinforce the transparency of the process as FDA reviews data from trials now underway," Hahn said in a post on Twitter. (https://bit.ly/2YYBHI0)

White House's Birx denies 'herd immunity' policy under consideration

The White House Coronavirus Task Force coordinator, Dr. Deborah Birx, on Wednesday dismissed the notion that the Trump administration was considering a strategy of allowing Americans to become infected with coronavirus in order to reach "herd immunity." "Neither I, nor anybody in the administration, is willing to sacrifice American lives for herd immunity. We'll get to herd immunity through a vaccine and that's the right way to do it," Birx told reporters during a briefing at St. Mary Mercy Hospital in Livonia, Michigan.