Health News Roundup: U.S. CDC reports 211,132 deaths from coronavirus; Takeda-led COVID-19 plasma treatment enters clinical trial with first patient 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) Takeda-led COVID-19 plasma treatment enters clinical trial with first patient Japan's Takeda Pharmaceutical Co said on Friday an alliance of drugmakers it spearheads has enrolled its first patient in a global clinical trial of a blood plasma treatment for COVID-19 after months of regulatory delays.

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)

Takeda-led COVID-19 plasma treatment enters clinical trial with first patient

Japan's Takeda Pharmaceutical Co said on Friday an alliance of drugmakers it spearheads has enrolled its first patient in a global clinical trial of a blood plasma treatment for COVID-19 after months of regulatory delays. The phase 3 trial by the group, known as the CoVIg Plasma Alliance, aims to enroll 500 adult patients from the United States, Mexico and 16 other countries, according to a statement.

Australia records second day without COVID-19 death for first time in three months

Australia reported its second straight day without any COVID-19 deaths on Friday, the longest stretch without any fatalities from the virus in three months. Australian states and territories reported 16 cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, down from 28 on Thursday, and no deaths for two days, the first time Australia has gone 48 hours without a COVID-19 death since July 11.

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.

Gilead's remdesivir shaved five days off COVID-19 recovery time, reduced risk of death in some

Final data from Gilead Sciences Inc's antiviral drug remdesivir showed the treatment cut COVID-19 recovery time by five days compared with patients who got a placebo, one day faster than indicated in preliminary data, the company and researchers said on Thursday. In patients who were on oxygen when they first got the drug, remdesivir - sold under the brand Veklury - reduced recovery time by seven days compared with placebo after 29 days, according to the 1,062-patient study, published in the New England Journal of Medicine.

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.

Mainland China reports 21 new COVID-19 cases vs 11 a day earlier

Mainland China reported 21 new COVID-19 cases on Oct. 8, up from 11 a day earlier, the country's national health authority said on Friday. The National Health Commission said in a statement that all new cases were imported infections involving travellers from overseas. The number of new asymptomatic cases, which China does not classify as confirmed COVID-19 cases, rose to 15 from eight a day earlier.

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.

China joins COVAX initiative for COVID-19 vaccine distribution

China said on Friday it has joined a global COVID-19 vaccine initiative co-led by the World Health Organization (WHO), becoming the biggest economy to date to pledge support to help buy and distribute the shots fairly. The move by China, where the new coronavirus was first reported, comes as it holds separate talks with the WHO to have its locally produced COVID-19 vaccines assessed for international use.