Health News Roundup: U.S. COVID-19 single-day deaths top 1,200 for first time since August; Philippines cancels 'Black Nazarene' parade as pandemic lingers and more

Sewage can reveal COVID outbreaks, UK project finds Traces of COVID-19 can be successfully detected in sewage, helping to give health officials an early warning of local outbreaks of the virus, the British government said on Friday.

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

U.S. COVID-19 single-day deaths top 1,200 for first time since August

The number of coronavirus deaths reported in the United States on Wednesday reached its highest in two months, offering more evidence that the pandemic was gaining fresh momentum across the country as cooler weather sets in. COVID-19 deaths nationwide had averaged about 700 a day for much of October before rising to 1,237 on Wednesday, according to a Reuters analysis, the most since Aug. 19.

Philippines cancels 'Black Nazarene' parade as pandemic lingers

The Philippine capital Manila on Friday cancelled an annual procession of a centuries-old black wooden statue of Jesus Christ that draws millions of Roman Catholic devotees as the coronavirus pandemic continues to afflict the country. The Philippines, renowned for its colourful religious rituals, has the second-highest number of novel coronavirus infections and deaths in Southeast Asia behind Indonesia.

Australia to lift cap on citizens returning as thousands left stranded

Australia will slightly lift the cap on the number of citizens and permanent residents allowed to return each week, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on Friday, as local COVID-19 cases slow to single digits. Australia has since July capped the number of locals allowed to return home each week in an attempt to reduce the threat of spreading COVID-19 once they enter a mandatory 14-day quarantine in hotels.

Sewage can reveal COVID outbreaks, UK project finds

Traces of COVID-19 can be successfully detected in sewage, helping to give health officials an early warning of local outbreaks of the virus, the British government said on Friday. A project, originally launched in June, has now proved that fragments of genetic material from the virus can be detected in waste water, indicating if a local community or institution is experiencing a spike in cases.

Gilead's remdesivir gets U.S. FDA approval for hospitalized COVID-19 patients

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Thursday approved Gilead Sciences Inc's antiviral drug remdesivir for treating patients hospitalized with COVID-19, making it the first and only drug approved for the disease in the United States. Remdesivir, given intravenously, was one of the drugs used to treat U.S. President Donald Trump during his bout with COVID-19.

Walmart sues federal government over opioid case

Walmart Inc said on Thursday it had filed a lawsuit against the federal government, seeking clarity on the roles and legal responsibilities of pharmacists and pharmacies in filling opioid prescriptions. Walmart said certain officials in the U.S. Justice Department are threatening to sue the retail giant, claiming pharmacists should have refused to fill otherwise valid opioid prescriptions.

South Korea finds no link between flu shot, boy's death as toll rises

South Korea's forensic agency has found no links between a 17-year-old boy's death and a flu shot he had taken, the Yonhap news agency reported, amid rising concerns about the safety of the vaccines following the death of at least 32 people. The boy was among the first reported to have died as part of a government campaign to vaccinate about 30 million of a population of 52 million to prevent coronavirus complications.

Pfizer, J&J urge clarity from FDA on future of COVID-19 vaccine trials once a vaccine is available

Pfizer Inc and Johnson & Johnson are seeking input from a U.S. Food and Drug Administration advisory committee on retaining and attracting volunteers for COVID-19 vaccine trials after a vaccine becomes available, if they know they might receive a placebo. Both U.S. companies are among a handful with pivotal, late-stage COVID-19 vaccine trials underway.

Blood of recovered COVID-19 patients shows little benefit as treatment

Using blood of recovered COVID-19 patients - or so-called convalescent plasma - as a potential treatment is of little benefit in helping hospitalised patients fight off the infection, according to results of a clinical trial in India. Published in the BMJ British Medical Journal on Friday, the results show that convalescent plasma, which delivers antibodies from COVID-19 survivors to infected people, failed to reduce death rates or halt progression to severe disease.

Peru rejects AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine purchase deal

The Peruvian government said on Thursday that it refused to sign a coronavirus vaccine purchase agreement with AstraZeneca PLC because it did not provide sufficient data from its studies and offered minimal amounts of inoculations. Prime Minister Walter Martos said in a news conference that the government had asked AstraZeneca for data from its vaccine studies, but that the firm had not sent the information.

(With inputs from agencies.)