Health News Roundup: Japan to test anti-virus measures at near-full baseball stadium; World caught in "syndemic" of chronic diseases and COVID-19 and more

Latest on the worldwide spread of coronavirus U.S. President Donald Trump urged for a big stimulus to cushion the economic impact of COVID-19, as the country's tally of infections surpassed eight million while reporting record spikes in several states. Nine states, including Michigan and North Carolina, reported record one-day increases of new infections on Thursday, according to a Reuters tally.

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

Olympics: Japan to test anti-virus measures at near-full baseball stadium

Yokohama Stadium will hold three baseball games at around 80% capacity later this month as Japan looks to test its COVID-19 countermeasures at big events ahead of the rearranged Tokyo Olympics next year. Professional sports stadiums in Japan have been limited to 50% capacity as part of efforts to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus, with the vast majority of games going ahead without issue.

NHS England in talks on rollout of potential COVID vaccine from December - Pulse health website

The National Health Service (NHS) is in talks with the British Medical Association (BMA) and others around mobilising the rollout of a potential COVID-19 vaccine from December, Pulse website for health professionals reported on Thursday. There is optimism around the first cohorts being given a vaccine in December but there is a 50/50 chance of the vaccine being available by that time, Pulse https://bit.ly/3lQhtJt reported, citing a person close to the discussions.

World caught in "syndemic" of chronic diseases and COVID-19, global study says

The world is caught in a perfect storm of rising rates of chronic disease, persistent infectious diseases and public health failures that have fuelled deaths in the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a major global study of human health. The emergence and overlap of the coronavirus pandemic with a continued global rise in chronic conditions such as obesity and diabetes - with added environmental risks such as air pollution - have exacerbated the coronavirus death toll, it said.

Latest on the worldwide spread of coronavirus

U.S. President Donald Trump urged for a big stimulus to cushion the economic impact of COVID-19, as the country's tally of infections surpassed eight million while reporting record spikes in several states.

DEATHS AND INFECTIONS First 'no-quarantine' flights arrive into Australia as virus cases fall

Hundreds of New Zealand plane passengers started arriving in Sydney on Friday as part of a new trans-Tasman travel bubble amid a rapidly falling growth rate in cases at the epicentre of Australia's coronavirus outbreak. In a tentative re-opening to international tourism, travellers on the approved flights won't be required to quarantine in Sydney, authorities said.

U.S. coronavirus cases surpass eight million as infections spike nationwide

U.S. cases of the novel coronavirus crossed 8 million on Thursday, rising by 1 million in less than a month, as another surge in cases hits the nation at the onset of cooler weather. Since the pandemic started, over 217,000 people have died in the United States. (Graphic: https://tmsnrt.rs/3k2EHvB)

WHO study says remdesivir did not cut hospital stay or mortality in COVID-19 patients

Gilead Sciences Inc's remdesivir had little or no effect on COVID-19 patients' length of hospital stay or chances of survival, a clinical trial by the World Health Organization (WHO) has found. The antiviral medication, among the first to be used as a treatment for COVID-19, was one of the drugs recently used to treat U.S. President Donald Trump's coronavirus infection.

Coronavirus vaccine candidate from China's CNBG shows promise in human test, study shows

One of China's front-running coronavirus vaccine candidates was shown to be safe and triggered immune responses in a combined early and mid-stage test in humans, researchers said. The potential vaccine, dubbed BBIBP-CorV, is being developed by the Beijing Institute of Biological Products, a subsidiary of China National Biotec Group (CNBG).

New coronavirus infections rise to record highs in U.S. Midwest and beyond

Wisconsin and other states in the U.S. Midwest and beyond are battling surges in COVID-19 cases, with new infections and hospitalizations rising to record levels in an ominous sign of a nationwide resurgence as temperatures get colder. Nine states, including Michigan and North Carolina, reported record one-day increases of new infections on Thursday, according to a Reuters tally. Michigan last set a record for new daily cases on April 3 in the early days of the pandemic in the United States.

Fujifilm seeks approval for Avigan as COVID-19 treatment in Japan

Fujifilm Holdings Corp said on Friday it was seeking to have its flu drug Avigan approved in Japan as a treatment for COVID-19 - a move that comes after a late-stage study showed reduced recovery times for patients with non-severe symptoms. Shares in Fujifilm rose 3% on the news.

(With inputs from agencies.)