Health News Roundup: U.S. CDC reports 211,132 deaths from coronavirus; Regeneron antibodies in demand after Trump treatment and more

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. 7 versus its previous report a day earlier.(https://bit.ly/3npgGkp) Regeneron antibodies in demand after Trump treatment, doctors seek more data Patients are asking to join clinical trials of antibody-based COVID-19 drugs after U.S. President Donald Trump was treated last week with an experimental therapy from Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc, and on Wednesday he promised to make it free to Americans while touting its benefits.

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

U.S. CDC reports 211,132 deaths from coronavirus

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Thursday reported 7,528,313 cases of the new coronavirus, an increase of 53,051 cases from its previous count, and said the number of deaths had risen by 900 to 211,132. 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. 7 versus its previous report a day earlier.(https://bit.ly/3npgGkp)

Regeneron antibodies in demand after Trump treatment, doctors seek more data

Patients are asking to join clinical trials of antibody-based COVID-19 drugs after U.S. President Donald Trump was treated last week with an experimental therapy from Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc, and on Wednesday he promised to make it free to Americans while touting its benefits. Medical experts said more data is needed to assess the treatment's efficacy before wider use should be allowed.

Fauci says 'reasonably good chance' Regeneron antibody therapy helped Trump

Top U.S. infectious diseases expert Dr. Anthony Fauci said on Thursday that President Donald Trump's health was likely helped by an experimental therapy made by Regeneron Inc in which he received antibodies to fight the disease. "There is a reasonably good chance that in fact it made him much better," Fauci said during an interview on MSNBC.

UK at 'perilous moment' after 17,540 new COVID cases reported

Health minister Matt Hancock warned the United Kingdom was at a "perilous moment" as more than 17,540 new daily COVID-19 cases were recorded on Thursday, up by more than 3,000 from the day before. A further 77 people died after testing positive for the virus within 28 days, government data showed while the number of COVID-19 patients in hospitals in England rose to 3,044 from 2,944 on Wednesday, the highest figure since June 22.

Lilly's rheumatoid arthritis drug cuts COVID-19 deaths in trial, data shows

Eli Lilly and Co said on Thursday fewer deaths were reported among COVID-19 patients taking a combination of its rheumatoid arthritis drug and Gilead Sciences Inc's remdesivir in a clinical trial, compared to only remdesivir. Lilly said the effect was most pronounced in patients on oxygen therapy, according to data from a U.S. government-backed trial, which however, was not designed to measure the effectiveness of baricitinib in preventing death.

New York City parents scramble to deal with new school closures as COVID-19 resurges

The 6-year-old son of Jodi Cook, a Brooklyn mother of two, had just resumed in-person classes at his local elementary - only to face the closure of his school again as coronavirus cases spiked nearby. Cook said she was disappointed. Last week, public elementary schools in New York City welcomed back students to the classroom as part of Mayor Bill de Blasio's blended learning plan after a months-long hiatus.

WHO reports record one-day rise in global coronavirus cases amid European outbreak

The World Health Organization reported a record one-day increase in global coronavirus cases on Thursday, with the total rising by 338,779 in 24 hours led by a surge of infections in Europe. Europe reported 96,996 new cases, the highest total for the region ever recorded by the WHO.

EU's potential COVID-19 vaccine doses top a billion with J&J deal

The European Union has sealed a deal with Johnson & Johnson to supply up to 400 million doses of its potential COVID-19 vaccine, as the bloc builds up stocks amid a global scramble to secure shots. The deal announced on Thursday by the European Commission is its third advance purchase contract with makers of COVID-19 vaccines after deals with AstraZeneca and Sanofi, bringing the number of doses secured by the EU for its population of 450 million to 1.1 billion.

Moderna to apply for EU's rolling approval for COVID-19 vaccine

Moderna Inc will soon apply for real-time reviews of its experimental COVID-19 vaccine in Europe, the drug developer said on Thursday, days after the EU health regulator launched rolling reviews of shots from its rivals. The drug developer said it was in talks with European countries and would submit the same data it plans to submit to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for authorization.

Chile scientists study potential coronavirus mutation in remote Patagonia

Scientists in Chile are investigating a possible mutation of the novel coronavirus in southern Patagonia, a far-flung region near the tip of the South American continent that has seen an unusually contagious second wave of infections in recent weeks. Dr. Marcelo Navarrete of the University of Magallanes told Reuters in an interview that researchers had detected "structural changes" in the spikes on the distinctive, crown-shaped virus. He said research is underway to better understand the potential mutation and its effects on humans.

(With inputs from agencies.)