Health News Roundup: U.S. sets new record for increase in COVID-19 case; Australia signs two more COVID-19 vaccine deals and more

Australia signs two more COVID-19 vaccine deals Australia has agreed to purchase another 50 million doses of two more COVID-19 vaccines, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on Thursday, as Canberra aims to complete a mass inoculation programme within months.

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

U.S. sets new record for increase in COVID-19 cases day after election

The United States set a one-day record for new coronavirus cases on Wednesday with at least 102,591 new infections and as hospitals in several states reported a rising tide of patients, according to a Reuters tally. Nine states reported record one-day increases in cases on Wednesday: Colorado, Idaho, Indiana, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Rhode Island, Washington and Wisconsin.

Denmark plans to cull its mink population after coronavirus mutation spreads to humans

Denmark will cull its mink population of up to 17 million after a mutation of the coronavirus found in the animals spread to humans, the prime minister said on Wednesday. Health authorities found virus strains in humans and in mink which showed decreased sensitivity against antibodies, potentially lowering the efficacy of future vaccines, Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said.

Biogen Alzheimer's drug closer to approval with U.S. FDA staff backing, shares jump 40%

Biogen Inc has shown "exceptionally persuasive" evidence that its experimental Alzheimer's disease drug is effective, U.S. Food and Drug Administration staff said on Wednesday, elevating its chances of a swift approval and sending company shares soaring. An FDA approval could come by March, which would make the drug, aducanumab, the first new treatment for the disease in decades and the first that appears to be able to slow progression of the fatal, mind-wasting condition that affects millions of people.

Australia signs two more COVID-19 vaccine deals

Australia has agreed to purchase another 50 million doses of two more COVID-19 vaccines, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on Thursday, as Canberra aims to complete a mass inoculation programme within months. Australia in September said it had agreed to spend A$1.7 billion ($1.2 billion) to buy 85 million vaccine doses from AstraZeneca and CSL Ltd should the trails prove successful.

Britain prepares for COVID-19 vaccine as Oxford forecasts result this year

Late-stage trial results of a potential COVID-19 vaccine being developed by the University of Oxford and AstraZeneca could be presented this year as the British government prepares for a possible vaccination rollout in late December or early 2021. A vaccine is seen as a game-changer in the battle against the coronavirus, which has killed more than 1.2 million people worldwide, shuttered swathes of the global economy and turned normal life upside down for billions of people.

Chile, Peru green-light AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine trials

Chilean President Sebastian Pinera said on Wednesday the country's health regulator had given the go-ahead for clinical trials of AstraZeneca PLC's COVID-19 vaccine. Pinera said the AstraZeneca trial would follow one by America's Johnson & Johnson that is already underway and another by China's Sinovac, whose first vaccine doses arrived in Chile on Wednesday.

Germany's confirmed coronavirus cases rise by 19,990: RKI

The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Germany increased by 19,990 to 597,583, data from the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) for infectious diseases showed on Thursday. The reported death toll rose by 118 to 10,930, the tally showed.

Londoners hit the town one last time before new lockdown

Londoners shrugged off a resurgent COVID-19 pandemic and flocked to pubs and restaurants on Wednesday night, hours before the introduction of a new month-long lockdown across England. While the UK's death toll from the coronavirus rose on Wednesday by 492, the most since mid-May, London's Soho entertainment district was busy with revellers seeking one last night out before lockdown.

Italy locks down financial capital Milan and much of industrial north

Italy's latest restrictions to try to rein in the coronavirus include a partial lockdown of its richest and most populous region Lombardy around the financial capital Milan, Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte said on Wednesday. Earlier, the government published its new package of measures which toughen up nationwide curbs and divide the country into three zones - red, orange and yellow, according to the intensity of the epidemic.

Delivery timetable of Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine has slipped, UK official says

The timetable for delivery of the Oxford University/AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine candidate has slipped and Britain will receive just 4 million doses of the shot this year, the head of the UK's vaccine procurement programme said on Wednesday. In May, Britain agreed a deal for 100 million doses of the vaccine, developed by Oxford University and licensed to AstraZeneca, with 30 million doses estimated for delivery by September 2020.