Science News Roundup: Steroids cut COVID-19 death risk; Scientists see downsides to top COVID-19 vaccines from Russia, China and more

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.

Following is a summary of current science news briefs.

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 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.