Health News Roundup: India's tally of coronavirus infections nears 5 million; U.S. COVID-19 cases fall 15% in past week and more

Factbox: Latest on the worldwide spread of coronavirus AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine trial remains on hold in the United States pending a U.S. investigation into a serious side effect in Britain even as other trials of the vaccine resume, sources familiar with the details told Reuters.

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

Researchers trial inhaled versions of Oxford and Imperial COVID-19 vaccine candidates

Inhaled versions of COVID-19 vaccine candidates developed by Oxford University and Imperial College will be trialled to see if they deliver a localised immune response in the respiratory tract, British researchers said on Monday. The Oxford and Imperial vaccines are both being tested in trials through intramuscular injection, but scientists from Imperial said that vaccines delivered via inhalation could potentially deliver a more specialised response.

South Korea to secure coronavirus vaccines for 60% of population: PM Chung

South Korea will secure early supply of the novel coronavirus vaccines for 30 million people, or 60% of its population, Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun told a cabinet meeting on Tuesday. While authorities would like to inoculate the country's entire population of 52 million, uncertainty around the vaccine's safety, efficacy and development was limiting South Korea's investment, Chung said.

Factbox: Latest on the worldwide spread of coronavirus

AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine trial remains on hold in the United States pending a U.S. investigation into a serious side effect in Britain even as other trials of the vaccine resume, sources familiar with the details told Reuters.

DEATHS AND INFECTIONS COVID-19 has set global health progress back decades: Gates Foundation

The knock-on effects of the coronavirus pandemic have halted and reversed global health progress, setting it back 25 years and exposing millions to the risk of deadly disease and poverty, a report by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation warned on Tuesday. Because of COVID-19, extreme poverty has increased by 7%, and routine vaccine coverage - a good proxy measure for how health systems are functioning - is dropping to levels last seen in the 1990s, the report said.

China coronavirus vaccine may be ready for public in November: official

Coronavirus vaccines being developed in China may be ready for use by the general public as early as November, an official with the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said. China has four COVID-19 vaccines in the final stage of clinical trials. At least three of those have already been offered to essential workers under an emergency use programme launched in July.

U.S. COVID-19 cases fall 15% in past week, deaths down for four weeks

The number of new cases of the novel coronavirus reported in the United States fell 15% last week from the previous seven days, and deaths fell for a fourth week in a row, according to a Reuters analysis. The United States reported on average about 35,000 new cases each day in the week ended Sept. 13, marking the eighth straight week of declines from a peak in July of about 70,000 new cases a day. On average, more than 735 people a day died from COVID-19 last week, with fatalities declining in California and Texas and holding steady in Florida.

India's tally of coronavirus infections nears 5 million

India reported 83,809 new coronavirus infections for its lowest daily jump in a week, the health ministry said on Tuesday. The world's second-most populous nation appeared to be on course to cross the milestone of 5 million cases on Wednesday, as its tally of 4.93 million is just 70,000 short.

Fifteen scientists launch critique of Russia's COVID-19 vaccine data

A group of scientists sent a formal letter to the Lancet on Monday outlining doubts about the accuracy of early data on Russia's COVID-19 vaccine, one of the authors said, adding further fuel to a dispute surrounding the "Sputnik-V" shot. Fifteen scientists from five countries signed the letter presenting their concerns to the international medical journal, Enrico Bucci, biologist adjunct professor at Philadelphia's Temple University, told Reuters.

Factbox: Record one-day increases in COVID-19 cases in seven U.S. states in September

Seven U.S. states have reported record one-day increases in COVID-19 cases so far this month even as the average daily number of new infections is falling nationally. Nationwide, about 35,000 new infections are reported on average each day, down from a peak in July of about 70,000 a day, according to a Reuters analysis of state and county data.

Exclusive: AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine trial in U.S. on hold until at least midweek - sources

AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine trial remains on hold in the United States pending a U.S. investigation into a serious side effect in Britain even as other trials of the vaccine resume, sources familiar with the details told Reuters. AstraZeneca on Saturday said it had restarted its trial in Britain after regulators completed their review of a serious side effect in one trial participant there.

(With inputs from agencies.)