Health News Roundup: New U.S. COVID-19 cases rise 13% last week; Lebanese security chief tests positive for COVID-19 in U.S and more

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

New U.S. COVID-19 cases rise 13% last week to nearly 400,000

The number of new COVID-19 cases in the United States last week rose 13% to more than 393,000, approaching levels last seen during the summer peak, according to a Reuters analysis. Deaths fell 2% to about 4,900 people for the week ended Oct. 18, according to the analysis of state and county reports. Since the outbreak started, nearly 220,000 people in the country have died and over 8.1 million have become infected with the novel coronavirus.

Lebanese security chief tests positive for COVID-19 in U.S

A top Lebanese security official has tested positive for COVID-19 in the United States, his department said on Monday, forcing him to delay his return from talks in Washington and to cancel scheduled meetings in Paris. Major-General Abbas Ibrahim is in good health, the directorate of General Security, which he heads, added in a tweet.

WHO chief Tedros says 184 countries signed up to vaccine facility

World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on Monday that 184 countries have now joined the COVAX facility, which aims to finance COVID-19 vaccines to be distributed fairly to both rich and poor countries. "Equitably sharing vaccines is the fastest way to safeguard high-risk communities, stabilise health systems and drive a truly global economic recovery," Tedros told a news briefing in Geneva.

U.S. CDC reports 218,986 deaths from coronavirus

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Monday reported 8,128,524 cases of the new coronavirus, an increase of 47,035 from its previous count, and said that the number of deaths had risen by 475 to 218,986. The CDC reported its tally of cases of the respiratory illness known as COVID-19, caused by a new coronavirus, as of 4 p.m. ET on Oct. 18 versus its previous report a day earlier. (https://bit.ly/3jbTLFS)

Doctors probe whether COVID-19 is causing diabetes

Mario Buelna, a healthy 28-year-old father, caught a fever and started having trouble breathing in June. He soon tested positive for COVID-19. Weeks later, after what had seemed like a recovery, he felt weak and started vomiting. At 3 a.m. on Aug. 1, he passed out on the floor of his home in Mesa, Arizona.

Wisconsin judge reimposes COVID restrictions as U.S. nursing homes sound alarm

As Wisconsin battled one of the worst coronavirus surges in the United States, a judge on Monday reinstated an order by the administration of Governor Tony Evers limiting the size of indoor public gatherings at bars, restaurants and other venues. The Democratic governor's emergency directive to stem new COVID-19 infections in the state put a 25% capacity limit on the number of people who may gather indoors until Nov. 6. It was challenged in court by bar owners and others shortly after it was issued on Oct. 6 and blocked by a judge on Oct. 14.

Part of Bavaria goes into first German lockdown since April

Residents of the Berchtesgadener Land district of Bavaria will not be able to leave their homes without a valid reason for two weeks from Tuesday, officials said on Monday, making it the first area in Germany to go back into lockdown since April. The decision, which takes effect from 2 p.m. (1200 GMT) on Tuesday, follows a spike in coronavirus cases in the district to 272.8 per 100,000 inhabitants over seven days.

Ireland moves to highest level of COVID-19 restrictions

Ireland announced some of Europe's toughest COVID-19 constraints on Monday, shutting non-essential retail, limiting restaurants and pubs to take away service and telling people not to travel more than five kilometres from their home. Ireland imposed one of Europe's longest lockdowns during the first surge in cases and has tightened restrictions over the last number of weeks as infections climbed again.

China's Sinovac vaccine is safe, Brazil institute says

An experimental coronavirus vaccine developed by China's Sinovac Biotech appeared to be safe in a late-stage clinical trial in Brazil, preliminary results showed on Monday. São Paulo's Butantan Institute, one of Brazil's leading biomedical research centers, which is carrying out the Phase 3 tests, said the two-dose vaccine, called CoronaVac, proved to be safe in a trial so far involving 9,000 volunteers.

Long-term problems in younger low-risk COVID-19 patients; flu shot may offer some protection

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. Long-term health problems seen in low-risk COVID-19 patients

(With inputs from agencies.)