Health News Roundup: UK PM Johnson's battle with COVID-19 may be a warning for Trump; Trump says on Twitter he, Melania tested positive for COVID-19 and more

The British drugmaker said on Friday the early-to-mid-stage trial for the vaccine against the novel coronavirus resumed in Japan after consultations with the national health regulator, the Japanese Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Agency.

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

Exclusive: New global lab network will compare COVID-19 vaccines head-to-head

A major non-profit health emergencies group has set up a global laboratory network to assess data from potential COVID-19 vaccines, allowing scientists and drugmakers to compare them and speed up selection of the most effective shots. Speaking to Reuters ahead of announcing the labs involved, Melanie Saville, director of vaccine R&D at the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), said the idea was to "compare apples with apples" as drugmakers race to develop an effective shot to help control the COVID-19 pandemic.

UK PM Johnson's battle with COVID-19 may be a warning for Trump

When Boris Johnson caught COVID-19 in March, the overweight British prime minister tried to work through the illness "in denial" - but ended up wearing an oxygen mask in an intensive care unit and was ultimately out of action for almost a month. He later said he had fought for his life as the state prepared for the unthinkable: the possible death in office of a prime minister.

U.S. schools in suburbs, small cities reopening without COVID spike; big cities up next

U.S. schools from kindergarten to high school have avoided a spike in COVID-19 cases, early data show, but medical experts say the real test is coming as students in large densely-populated cities such as New York and Miami return to classrooms. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention this week said more than 270,000 COVID-19 cases had been reported in children aged 5-17 since March. Cases in school-age children ticked slightly higher in mid-September as more schools reopened, but remains well below the peak set in mid-July.

Trump says on Twitter he, Melania tested positive for COVID-19

U.S. President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump tested positive for COVID-19, he said in a tweet early on Friday. "We will begin our quarantine and recovery process immediately," he said.

COVID-19 epidemic in Europe worrying, EU Commission head says

The head of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, said the COVID-19 epidemic in Europe was again worrying and it remained necessary to remain focused on tackling it. "The epidemiological situation is worrying. So we must stay very focused to avoid a return to the dire situation we experienced last spring," von der Leyen told a news conference after a meeting of EU leaders in Brussels.

Pandemic risks overwhelming Wisconsin as New York 'hot spots' heat up

Wisconsin, where U.S. President Donald Trump will hold rallies over the weekend, registered a record increase in new COVID-19 cases on Thursday, while New York state reported a worrisome uptick of positive coronavirus tests in 20 'hot spots.' The 3,000 new infections reported in Wisconsin fanned fears that the sheer number of new patients could overwhelm hospitals. Florida, which has four times as many people as Wisconsin, reported 2,628 new cases on Thursday.

U.S. Vice President Pence tests negative for coronavirus: spokesman

U.S. Vice President Mike Pence has tested negative for coronavirus, his spokesman said on Friday, hours after President Donald Trump announced he contracted COVID-19 and was under quarantine. "This morning, Vice President Pence and the Second Lady tested negative for COVID-19. Vice President Pence remains in good health and wishes the Trumps well in their recovery," spokesman Devin O'Malley said on Twitter.

AstraZeneca's Japanese COVID-19 vaccine trial back up, U.S. still paused

Clinical trials of AstraZeneca and Oxford University's experimental COVID-19 vaccine have resumed in Japan, almost a month after being put on hold due to an illness of a British volunteer, while discussions with U.S. authorities continue. The British drugmaker said on Friday the early-to-mid-stage trial for the vaccine against the novel coronavirus resumed in Japan after consultations with the national health regulator, the Japanese Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Agency.

Russia to begin Phase III trials of second COVID-19 vaccine in Nov-Dec: TASS

Russia will begin Phase III trials of a second potential vaccine against COVID-19, developed by Siberia's Vector Institute, in November-December, the TASS news agency cited Russian consumer safety watchdog Rospotrebnadzor as saying on Friday. Early-stage clinical trials for the vaccine were completed on Wednesday.

Small signs new COVID-19 cases in England are levelling off: ONS survey

There is some evidence that a recent sharp rise in new COVID-19 cases in England is levelling off, Britain's Office for National Statistics said on Friday, adding it was too early to know for sure. New cases of COVID-19 in England were around 8,400 per day in the latest week to Sept. 24, down from around 9,600 per day during the previous week, an ONS estimate said.