Health News Roundup: Latest on the worldwide spread of coronavirus; AstraZeneca's trial illnesses may not be due to COVID-19 shot and more

Factbox: Latest on the worldwide spread of coronavirus A COVID-19 vaccine could be broadly rolled out in the United states by the middle of next year or a little later, the head of the federal government's disease control agency said on Wednesday.

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

Factbox: Latest on the worldwide spread of coronavirus

A COVID-19 vaccine could be broadly rolled out in the United States by the middle of next year or a little later, the head of the federal government's disease control agency said on Wednesday.

DEATHS AND INFECTIONS U.S. plans to distribute the COVID-19 vaccine immediately after regulators authorize it

The U.S. government on Wednesday said it will start distributing a COVID-19 vaccine within one day of regulatory authorization as it plans for the possibility that a limited number of vaccine doses may be available at the end of the year. Officials from the Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Defense on Wednesday held a call with reporters and then released documents on the distribution plans that it is sending to the states and local public health officials.

Global coronavirus cases to soon surpass 30 million: Reuters tally

Global coronavirus cases are expected to pass 30 million on Thursday, according to a Reuters tally, with the pandemic showing no signs of slowing. India was firmly in focus as the latest epicenter, although North and South America combined accounted for almost half of the global cases.

Common public screening methods unreliable; student-athletes may need heart test after COVID-19

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 screening in public venues is unreliable China's Sinovac to test coronavirus vaccine candidate in teenagers, children

Chinese vaccine maker Sinovac Biotech plans to start a clinical trial of its experimental coronavirus vaccine with children and adolescents later this month, widening its test on a shot that's already in the final stage of study with adults. Finding a vaccine that works for the entire population, including younger people, could be crucial to preventing outbreaks of the virus - that has led to over 930,000 deaths worldwide - through schools and kindergartens, potentially affecting also teachers and parents.

AstraZeneca's trial illnesses may not be due to COVID-19 shot, Oxford University says

The adverse events that led to a pause in trials evaluating AstraZeneca Plc's COVID-19 vaccine candidate may not have been associated with the vaccine itself, according to a document outlining participant information that was posted online by the Oxford University. Enrollment in the British drugmaker's global trials of the vaccine, which it is developing with researchers at Oxford University, was paused on Sept. 6, after a participant in its U.K. trial had a serious side effect thought to be a rare spinal inflammatory disorder called transverse myelitis.

Coronavirus stigma runs deep and dangerous in Indonesia

When Ari Harifin Hendriyawan's mother tested positive for the coronavirus, their neighbors brought a hammer and nails and boarded up the lane. From his home in the lush foothills of Indonesia's West Java, the 23-year-old told Reuters the barricade appeared days after he received a negative test result and was at home self-isolating.

India's coronavirus cases jump by the daily record of 97,894

India reported another record jump in daily coronavirus infections with 97,894 cases in the last 24 hours, data from the health ministry showed on Thursday. With 5.12 million cases in all, India is the world's second-worst affected country and trails only the United States, which has a caseload of around 6.6 million.

Trump contradicts CDC director on vaccine, masks: 'He was confused'

President Donald Trump took exception on Wednesday to comments from the director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, who said a vaccine for the novel coronavirus could be broadly rolled out in mid-2021 and that masks might be even more effective. Robert Redfield, in testimony to a congressional committee, said that the general availability of a vaccine could come by "late second quarter, third quarter 2021."

Exclusive: In the weeds - How Bayer, U.S. government teamed up against Thailand's glyphosate ban

Chemicals giant Bayer and the U.S. government cooperated closely last year to lobby Thailand to reverse its ban on glyphosate, used in the company's controversial weedkiller Roundup, documents obtained by an environmental group and reviewed by Reuters show. The lobbying, including U.S. trade officials asking Bayer for information on Thailand's deputy agriculture minister, is detailed in more than 200 pages of partially redacted documents and emails, some directly between U.S. officials and a Bayer representative.

(With inputs from agencies.)