Health News Roundup: Mexico's confirmed coronavirus cases surpass 700,000; New U.S. COVID-19 cases rise 17% in past week, deaths up 5% and more

Some Australian states relax borders as infections ease, hotspot cases rise Australia's virus hotspot of Victoria on Tuesday reported a more than doubling in new COVID-19 infections likely as a result of increased testing, while states elsewhere in the country said border restrictions would be relaxed as case numbers dwindled.

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

Some Australian states relax borders as infections ease, hotspot cases rise

Australia's virus hotspot of Victoria on Tuesday reported a more than doubling in new COVID-19 infections likely as a result of increased testing, while states elsewhere in the country said border restrictions would be relaxed as case numbers dwindled. Officials said the northeastern state of Queensland would open its borders to parts of neighboring New South Wales, the country's most populous state, amid growing confidence that Australia's second wave of infections has been contained.

Mexico's confirmed coronavirus cases surpass 700,000

Mexico's confirmed coronavirus caseload rose past 700,000 on Monday, according to updated data from the health ministry officials, along with a reported death toll of 73,697. Authorities reported 2,917 new cases, bringing the total to 700,580, along with 204 deaths on Monday, but the true figures are likely significantly higher due to little testing.

New U.S. COVID-19 cases rise 17% in past week, deaths up 5%

The weekly number of new COVID-19 cases in the United States rose last week for the first time after falling for eight straight weeks, an increase that health experts attributed to schools reopening and parties over the Labor Day holiday. New cases rose 17% to about 287,000 for the week ended Sept. 20, while deaths rose 5.5% to about 5,400 people after falling for the previous four weeks, according to a Reuters analysis of state and county reports.

UK at critical COVID-19 moment as trend goes in wrong direction

Prime Minister Boris Johnson is pondering additional COVID-19 restrictions as Britain is at a critical moment in the novel coronavirus outbreak with the trend going in the wrong direction. "We're certainly at a very critical moment this morning," Transport Secretary Grant Shapps told Sky. "It is clear that we are just a few weeks behind what we're seeing elsewhere in Europe.

" COVID-19 may damage bone marrow immune cells; another reinfection reported

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 may damage immune cells in the bone marrow Exclusive: Study suggests dengue may provide some immunity against COVID-19

A new study that analyzed the coronavirus outbreak in Brazil has found a link between the spread of the virus and past outbreaks of dengue fever that suggests exposure to the mosquito-transmitted illness may provide some level of immunity against COVID-19. The not yet published study led by Miguel Nicolelis, a professor at Duke University, and shared exclusively with Reuters, compared the geographic distribution of coronavirus cases with the spread of dengue in 2019 and 2020.

South Korea suspends flu shots in setback for winter COVID-19 preparations

South Korea suspended free flu shots on Tuesday after reports of problems in storing the vaccinations during transportation, disrupting plans to pre-emptively ease the burden on a healthcare system already strained by coronavirus outbreaks. The country, which has seen a spike in COVID-19 cases since August, planned to procure 20% more flu vaccines for the winter than the previous year to jab 30 million people. It had planned to start free inoculation on Tuesday for some 19 million eligible people.

U.S. CDC takes down coronavirus airborne transmission guidance

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Monday took down its guidance warning on possible airborne transmission of the novel coronavirus, saying that the draft recommendation was posted in error. The now-withdrawn guidance, posted on the agency's website on Friday, recommended that people use air purifiers to reduce airborne germs indoors to avoid the disease from spreading.

U.S. nears grim milestone of 200,000 COVID-19 deaths

The death toll from the spread of the coronavirus in the United States was approaching over 200,000 on Monday, by the far the highest number of any nation. The United States, on a weekly average, is now losing about 800 lives each day to the virus, according to a Reuters tally. That is down from a peak of 2,806 daily deaths recorded on April 15.

Trump suggests Pfizer could win U.S. COVID-19 vaccine approval, J&J to come later

U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday suggested Pfizer Inc could secure the first U.S. approval of a COVID-19 vaccine in coming weeks, saying a contender by Johnson & Johnson could come later. Asked which drugmaker could be approved, Trump told Fox News in an interview: "Pfizer's doing really well," adding "Johnson & Johnson ... they'll probably be a little later." He also cited efforts by Moderna Inc and AstraZeneca Plc.