Health News Roundup: India's coronavirus infections spike again after dip; Upload your coronavirus test results, German app users urged and more

As U.S. surpasses 200,000 COVID-19 deaths, Wisconsin sounds alarm over surges in cases Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers on Tuesday declared a new public health emergency and extended a face mask mandate into November to fight a coronavirus flareup in his state, as the number of people who have died across the United States since the pandemic began passed 200,000.

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

UK's new COVID measures met with scepticism, confusion

The British government on Wednesday defended its new, stricter coronavirus measures against criticism that they did not got far enough, saying it was trying to balance supporting the economy while protecting health. Prime Minister Boris Johnson told citizens on Tuesday to work from home if possible and ordered restaurants and bars to close early, in an effort to slow a fast-spreading second wave of COVID-19, saying restrictions would likely last six months.

Violence mounts against Iraqi doctors as COVID cases spike

Iraqi doctor Tariq Al-Sheibani remembers little else beyond cowering on the ground as a dozen relatives of a patient, who had just died of COVID-19, beat him unconscious. About two hours later the 47-year-old director of Al-Amal Hospital in the southern city of Najaf woke up in a different clinic with bruises all over his body.

As U.S. surpasses 200,000 COVID-19 deaths, Wisconsin sounds alarm over surges in cases

Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers on Tuesday declared a new public health emergency and extended a face mask mandate into November to fight a coronavirus flareup in his state, as the number of people who have died across the United States since the pandemic began passed 200,000. In-person social gatherings have led to cases in Wisconsin skyrocketing among people aged 18 to 24, Evers said, as he pleaded with students who returned to colleges for the fall semester to stay out of bars and wear masks.

Upload your coronavirus test results, German app users urged

Germany's health minister on Wednesday urged users of a smartphone app to help trace coronavirus infections to upload positive test results into the system, so that others at risk get a timely warning. The Corona Warn App, launched 100 days ago, has been downloaded more than 18 million times - more than all other similar apps across Europe combined that use Bluetooth technology to assess an individual's risk of catching COVID-19.

India's coronavirus infections spike again after dip

India's coronavirus infections surged again on Wednesday, a day after falling to their lowest figure in almost a month. In the last 24 hours, there were 83,347 new cases, with 1,085 deaths, federal health data showed.

Dutch daily COVID cases hit new high, also pass 100,000 in all

Confirmed daily coronavirus cases in the Netherlands hit a record high on Wednesday, with 2,357 confirmed over the previous 24 hours, according to data published by health authorities. The country has had 100,597 confirmed cases since it began registering them in late February, according to data made available by the National Institute for Health (RIVM).

Roche, AC Immune anti-Tau Alzheimer's drug fails trial

Swiss drugmaker Roche and partner AC Immune said their experimental anti-Tau Alzheimer's disease drug semorinemab failed to slow cognitive decline in a trial, a fresh blow to efforts against the fatal dementia-causing disease. "Although we are disappointed by the topline results, we believe these data will contribute to the scientific understanding of the role of tau in this complex and difficult-to-treat disease," Rachelle Doody, head of Roche's neurodegeneration operations, said in a statement.

Positive about flying? Airlines look to COVID tests that give results in minutes

European airlines are pinning hopes on pre-flight COVID-19 tests that deliver results as fast as pregnancy tests to help restore passengers' confidence in taking to the skies in confined spaces with shared air. Germany's Lufthansa, at the mercy of government bailouts for survival, is in talks with Swiss drugmaker Roche over deploying so-called antigen tests, according to two people familiar with the discussions, as the airline aims to make them available next month.

J&J kicks off final study of single-shot COVID-19 vaccine in 60,000 volunteers

Johnson & Johnson on Wednesday kicked off a final 60,000-person trial of a single-shot COVID-19 vaccine that potentially would simplify distribution of millions of doses compared with leading rivals using two doses. The company expects results of the Phase III trial by year end or early next year, Dr. Paul Stoffels, J&J's chief scientific officer, said in a joint press conference with officials from the National Institutes of Health and the Trump administration.

U.S. FDA to tighten coronavirus vaccine authorization standards ahead of election - paper

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is expected to soon announce new, more stringent standards for an emergency authorization of a COVID-19 vaccine, lowering the chances that one might be cleared for use before the Nov. 3 election, the Washington Post reported on Tuesday. The agency is issuing the guidance to boost transparency and public trust as health experts have become increasingly concerned that the Trump administration might be interfering in the approval process, the newspaper said.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)