Health News Roundup: Latest on the worldwide spread of coronavirus; Pandemic 'hero' Filipino nurses struggle to leave home and more

Russia seals another deal to supply and test its coronavirus vaccine abroad Russia's sovereign wealth fund will supply 100 million doses of its potential coronavirus vaccine to Indian drug company Dr Reddy's Laboratories, the fund said on Wednesday, as Moscow speeds up plans to distribute its shot abroad.

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

Amid COVID testing chaos, UK says: We're trying to fix it

Amid growing anger over a bottleneck in Britain's creaking coronavirus testing system, the government promised on Wednesday to do whatever it takes to boost laboratory capacity that has left people across the land with no way to get a COVID-19 test. In an attempt to slow one of the highest coronavirus death tolls in the West, Prime Minister Boris Johnson promised in May to create a "world-beating" system to test and trace people exposed to the virus.

Latest on the worldwide spread of coronavirus

The European Union's chief executive on Wednesday painted a sober picture of the bloc grappling with a pandemic and the deepest recession in its history, but laid out ambitious goals to make the 27 nations more resilient for future crises.

DEATHS AND INFECTIONS Serum Institute gets approval to resume India trial of AstraZeneca COVID vaccine: source

Serum Institute of India has received Indian regulatory approval to resume local clinical trials of AstraZeneca's potential COVID-19 vaccine, a source familiar with the matter said on Wednesday. The approval came from the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI), according to the source.

Russia seals another deal to supply and test its coronavirus vaccine abroad

Russia's sovereign wealth fund will supply 100 million doses of its potential coronavirus vaccine to Indian drug company Dr Reddy's Laboratories, the fund said on Wednesday, as Moscow speeds up plans to distribute its shot abroad. The deal for its Sputnik-V vaccine candidate comes after the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) reached agreements with Indian manufacturers to produce 300 million doses of the shot in India, also a major consumer of Russian oil and arms.

Pandemic 'hero' Filipino nurses struggle to leave home

From across the Philippines, they gathered to pray by Zoom. They were praying to be allowed to leave: To be allowed to take up nursing jobs in countries where the coronavirus is killing thousands in hospitals and care homes. In recent months, these care workers have taken to calling themselves "priso-nurses."

Lilly says antibody reduces need for hospitalization for moderate COVID-19 patients

Eli Lilly & Co said on Wednesday that its experimental antibody reduced the need for hospitalization and emergency room visits for patients with moderate COVID-19, according to an interim analysis of a mid-stage clinical trial. The study tested three different doses of LY-CoV555, a manufactured antibody designed to recognize and lock onto the novel coronavirus, preventing the infection from spreading.

UK could impose COVID curfew on London: Evening Standard

Curfews could be imposed in London to fight a second COVID-19 wave, the Evening Standard reported on Wednesday, citing the director of the London public health unit. "It might be local curfews so you're not out drinking until the wee hours of the morning," Kevin Fenton, London director of Public Health England, was quoted as saying.

Explainer: Reaching herd immunity in a viral pandemic

The novel coronavirus pandemic has brought "herd immunity" to the public consciousness, kindling hope the phenomenon can help slow or even end the outbreak. Herd immunity refers to a large portion of a community developing a degree of immunity to a virus, thereby reducing person-to-person spread. As a result, the whole community gains protection, not just those who are immune.

What you need to know about the coronavirus right now

Here's what you need to know about the coronavirus right now: Biden to outline how he would oversee vaccine. Some Indian hospitals scramble for oxygen as coronavirus cases top 5 million

India's coronavirus infections surged past 5 million on Wednesday, piling pressure on hospitals grappling with unreliable supplies of oxygen that they need to treat tens of thousands of critical patients. In the big states of Maharashtra, Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh, that are also some of the worst-affected by the virus, demand for oxygen has more than tripled, doctors and government officials said, prompting urgent calls for help.