Health News Roundup: US hit by spike in coronavirus cases; OxyContin maker Purdue to plead guilty over opioid practices and more

AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine trial Brazil volunteer dies, trial to continue Brazilian health authority Anvisa said on Wednesday that a volunteer in a clinical trial of the COVID-19 vaccine developed by AstraZeneca and Oxford University had died but added that the trial would continue.

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

U.S. hit by spike in coronavirus cases; rising infections strain Europe's hospitals

Europe's hospital systems are at risk of buckling under the strain of soaring COVID-19 infections that put the continent again at the center of the global pandemic on Wednesday while nearly two-thirds of U.S. states were in a danger zone of coronavirus spread. With European case numbers that were brought largely under control by the unprecedented lockdowns in March and April now resurging relentlessly, authorities in countries from Poland to Portugal have expressed mounting alarm at the renewed crisis confronting their health infrastructure.

OxyContin maker Purdue to plead guilty over opioid practices, deal sparks opposition

Purdue Pharma LP agreed to plead guilty to criminal charges over the handling of its addictive prescription opioid OxyContin, in a deal with U.S. prosecutors that effectively sidestepped paying billions of dollars in penalties and stopped short of criminally charging its executives or wealthy Sackler family owners. In a far-reaching agreement unveiled on Wednesday, Purdue formally admitted to criminal conduct related to distribution of its painkillers and agreed to pay $225 million to resolve U.S. Justice Department investigations.

COVID-19 complication rates far higher than for flu; open windows, partitions advised for classrooms

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 Higher complication rate with COVID-19 vs flu.

U.S. likely to have enough COVID-19 vaccines for all vulnerable Americans by year end - official

The United States is likely to have enough safe and effective COVID-19 vaccines available to inoculate the most vulnerable Americans by the end of 2020, Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar said on Wednesday. The U.S. government is "cautiously optimistic" that one or two vaccines, likely from Pfizer Inc or Moderna Inc, will be available by the end of the year and can begin to be distributed to Americans, officials said during a news conference.

Ecuador signs COVID-19 vaccine supply deals with pharma companies

Ecuador has signed supply agreements with major pharmaceutical firms including Pfizer Inc and BioNTech to provide millions of COVID-19 vaccines, the health minister said on Wednesday, adding it is seeking talks with Chinese laboratories for more supplies. The Andean country, facing an economic downturn exacerbated by the pandemic, has obtained funds through the Inter-American Development Bank to finance access to the COVAX vaccine, which is being led by the World Health Organization, Carlos Zevallos said.

Brazil's Bolsonaro rejects plan to buy China's Sinovac vaccine; health minister tests positive

Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro said on Wednesday the federal government will not buy a COVID-19 vaccine from China's Sinovac, one day after the health minister said it would be included in the nation's immunization program. The apparent about-face follows anti-China social media commentary by some of Bolsonaro's supporters and thrusts into the open a simmering debate over vaccine policy between the president and key governors, who have been exploring alternatives to the AstraZeneca vaccine the federal government has prioritized.

AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine trial Brazil volunteer dies, trial to continue

Brazilian health authority Anvisa said on Wednesday that a volunteer in a clinical trial of the COVID-19 vaccine developed by AstraZeneca and Oxford University had died but added that the trial would continue. Oxford confirmed the plan to keep testing, saying in a statement that after careful assessment "there have been no concerns about safety of the clinical trial."

U.S. FDA panel to discuss COVID-19 vaccine trials after emergency authorization

A panel of independent experts to the U.S. health regulator will decide on the nature of clinical trials that coronavirus vaccines should go through after receiving U.S. emergency use authorization. The panel will also deliberate whether during such trials, volunteers should continue to receive placebo - usually a mixture of salt and water - documents posted on the regulator's website showed on Wednesday. (https://bit.ly/2Tbdyuy)

Turkey mulling a return to coronavirus curbs as infections soar

Turkey is considering reimposing some measures to stem a resurgence of coronavirus cases such as stay-home orders for younger and older people or even weekend lockdowns, but will avoid throttling the economic recovery, a senior official said. The official, who requested anonymity, said the total number of infections was about five times that reported in the government's daily tally if asymptomatic cases were included - echoing concerns by Turkey's top medical association and opposition lawmakers.

Boston public schools shift to remote learning; COVID-19 surge ramps up in Midwest

With the number of new COVID-19 cases still surging in the U.S. Midwest, Boston's public school students will shift to remote learning beginning Thursday due to a rising infection rate in the city, which was ravaged by the pandemic during the spring. Boston, which serves more than 55,000 pre-K through grade 12 students, allowed some pupils with the highest needs back to the classroom on Oct. 1 after starting remote learning on Sept. 21.

(With inputs from agencies.)