Health News Roundup: Asthma patients less likely to die from virus; Abbott says new data shows rapid COVID-19 test and more

As some companies close in on unveiling their initial findings - with Canadian and European regulators already reviewing early data on some vaccines - the following is what we know about the race to deliver vaccines to help end the coronavirus pandemic that has claimed over a million lives: Wisconsin to open field hospital as COVID-19 hospitalizations surge Wisconsin will open a field hospital outside of Milwaukee to handle a surge in COVID-19 cases that have overwhelmed hospitals across the state, Governor Tony Evers said on Wednesday.

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

Asthma patients less likely to die from virus; new test better at telling who is still infectious

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. Asthma patients appear less likely to die from COVID-19.

Abbott says new data shows rapid COVID-19 test used at White House is highly accurate

Abbott Laboratories on Wednesday released early data from a study on the accuracy of its ID NOW COVID-19 test, which is used in the White House, that could help alleviate concerns the diagnostic frequently fails to detect the virus. Interim data from Abbott's 1,003-participant study shows that its test, which can deliver results in under 15 minutes, correctly identified positive COVID-19 cases 95% of the time when used within seven days of symptom onset.

Q&A: Where are we in the COVID-19 vaccine race?

Drugmakers and research centers around the world are working on COVID-19 vaccines, with large global trials of several of the candidates involving tens of thousands of participants well underway. As some companies close in on unveiling their initial findings - with Canadian and European regulators already reviewing early data on some vaccines - the following is what we know about the race to deliver vaccines to help end the coronavirus pandemic that has claimed over a million lives.

Wisconsin to open field hospital as COVID-19 hospitalizations surge

Wisconsin will open a field hospital outside of Milwaukee to handle a surge in COVID-19 cases that have overwhelmed hospitals across the state, Governor Tony Evers said on Wednesday. The hospital will open within the next week after hospitalizations across the state nearly tripled over the last month. There were 853 patients hospitalized with COVID-19 as of Tuesday, an increase of 71 from the day before, Evers said in a statement.

AstraZeneca could profit from COVID-19 vaccine as early as July: FT

AstraZeneca could start profiting from its COVID-19 vaccine as soon as July next year, the Financial Times reported on Wednesday, citing a memo showing the British drugmaker can declare when it considers the pandemic to have ended. The London-listed firm previously said it would not profit from the vaccine "during the pandemic", and the report attributes the development to a memorandum of understanding signed this year between AstraZeneca and Brazilian public health organization, Fiocruz. (https://on.ft.com/3lgC0Xo)

Trump is symptom-free and stable, White House doctor says

U.S. President Donald Trump has had no COVID-19 symptoms for the past 24 hours, with a physical examination and his vital signs showing his condition remains sable, White House physician Sean Conley said on Wednesday. Conley, in a statement released with Trump's permission, said the president has been fever-free for more than four days and had not needed or received any supplemental oxygen since his initial hospitalization.

Lilly applies for emergency use of COVID-19 single antibody treatment

Eli Lilly and Co is seeking emergency use authorization from the U.S. health regulator for its experimental COVID-19 antibody monotherapy and plans to pursue a similar approval for a combination therapy with two of its antibody drugs next month. The drugmaker on Wednesday reported positive data from a mid-stage trial testing its combination antibody therapy, which helped cut hospitalization and emergency room visits for COVID-19 patients.

Brazil nears 5 million COVID-19 cases, epidemiologist fears second wave

Brazil approached the mark of 5 million confirmed COVID-19 cases on Wednesday as it approached 150,000 deaths in the second most deathly coronavirus outbreak outside the United States. Though the number of cases has come down from a peak in July, public health experts warn that Brazil is ignoring social distancing precautions and faces the danger of a second wave by returning to normal everyday life too quickly.

UK's COVID testing system hit by Roche supply chain glitch

Britain's COVID-19 testing system faced more disruption on Wednesday after logistical problems at a Roche warehouse delayed the dispatch of some of the Swiss pharmaceutical giant's products. Roche is one of the main suppliers of diagnostic tests to Britain's National Health Service (NHS) Test and Trace programme, which was also hit by a glitch last week that delayed the reporting of nearly 16,000 positive tests.

U.S. CDC reports 210,232 deaths from coronavirus

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Wednesday reported 7,475,262 cases of the new coronavirus, an increase of 38,984 from its previous count, and said that the number of deaths had risen by 672 to 210,232. The CDC reported its tally of cases of the respiratory illness known as COVID-19, caused by a new coronavirus, as of 4 pm ET on Oct. 6 versus its previous report a day earlier.(https://bit.ly/3npgGkp)