Health News Roundup: Coronavirus cases in India drop to lowest since mid-July; WHO reports 65 staff infections since pandemic began and more

We can stop COVID-19: Moderna vaccine success gives world more hope Moderna Inc's experimental vaccine is 94.5% effective in preventing COVID-19 based on interim data from a late-stage trial, the company said on Monday, becoming the second U.S. drugmaker to report results that far exceed expectations.

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

Strict new limits imposed coast to coast in U.S. as COVID-19 surge continues

The city of Philadelphia and several large U.S. states on Monday announced strict new limits on social gatherings and commercial activity to tamp down a coronavirus surge threatening to overwhelm healthcare systems and claim thousands more lives in the weeks ahead. New Jersey, California, Ohio and Pennsylvania's largest city joined a growing list of states and local jurisdictions re-imposing tough measures designed to blunt a nationwide spike in coronavirus infections and hospitalizations, following a summertime ebb.

Samsung BioLogics says mass producing Eli Lilly's COVID-19 treatment

Samsung BioLogics Co Ltd on Tuesday said it is mass-producing a COVID-19 antibody treatment developed by Eli Lilly and Co, as the United States began distributing the drug last week after emergency-use approval. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the drug bamlanivimab earlier this month after clinical trials showed it reduced the need for hospitalisation or emergency room visits in COVID-19 patients at high risk of disease progression.

Coronavirus cases in India drop to lowest since mid-July

Daily coronavirus infections in India fell to their lowest since mid-July, with 29,163 new cases reported for the last 24 hours, taking the total to 8.87 million, the health ministry said on Tuesday. Daily cases have fallen in India, the country with the second-highest number of infections behind the United States, since hitting a peak in September.

WHO reports 65 staff infections since pandemic began

The World Health Organization (WHO) said on Monday there had been 65 coronavirus infections among its staff worldwide since the start of the pandemic. "We have had some cases last week that associated with each other ... all are doing well, all have had mild (symptoms) or (are) asymptomatic," Maria Van Kerkhove, WHO technical lead for COVID-19, told a virtual briefing.

We can stop COVID-19: Moderna vaccine success gives world more hope

Moderna Inc's experimental vaccine is 94.5% effective in preventing COVID-19 based on interim data from a late-stage trial, the company said on Monday, becoming the second U.S. drugmaker to report results that far exceed expectations. Together with Pfizer Inc's vaccine, which is also more than 90% effective, and pending more safety data and regulatory review, the United States could have two vaccines authorized for emergency use in December with as many as 60 million doses of vaccine available this year.

South Korea to tighten social distancing, warns of new COVID-19 crisis

South Korea will impose stricter social distancing rules for the greater Seoul area a month after easing them, officials said on Tuesday, warning of an even bigger crisis if anti-COVID-19 efforts fail to dampen a spike in new cases. Starting Tuesday midnight, tighter curbs will ban public gatherings of 100 people or more, limit religious services and audiences at sporting events to 30% capacity, and require high-risk facilities including clubs and karaoke bars to broaden distance among guests.

FDA delays decision on Bristol Myers cancer therapy due to COVID-19 travel curbs

Bristol Myers Squibb said on Monday the U.S. health regulator has deferred a decision on an experimental blood cancer therapy that it acquired in the $74 billion buyout of Celgene due to coronavirus-related travel restrictions. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) was unable to inspect a third-party manufacturing facility in Texas, a step required before the approval of the drug liso-cel, the company said.

Breakthrough COVID vaccine tech could help defeat other diseases

Breakthrough technology that transforms the body into a virus-zapping vaccine factory is poised to revolutionise the fight against COVID-19 but future pandemics and even cancer could be next, scientists say. The initial success of so-called messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) vaccines in late-stage trials by Moderna as well as Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech is the first proof the concept works. Both experimental vaccines had efficacy rates above 90% based on interim findings, which was far higher than expected and well above the 50% threshold U.S. regulators insist upon for vaccines.

Pfizer to start pilot delivery program for its COVID-19 vaccine in four U.S. states

Pfizer Inc has launched a pilot delivery program for its experimental COVID-19 vaccine in four U.S. states, as the U.S. drugmaker seeks to address distribution challenges facing its ultra-cold storage requirements. Pfizer's vaccine, which was shown to be more than 90% effective in preventing COVID-19 based on initial data, must be shipped and stored at -70 degrees Celsius (minus 94°F), significantly below the standard for vaccines of 2-8 degrees Celsius (36-46°F).

U.S. government to send out over 7 million Abbott BinaxNOW tests this week

The U.S. government will send over 7 million of Abbott Laboratories' BinaxNOW rapid antigen tests for COVID-19 to states, hospice providers, and for other uses this week, a top administration official said at a press briefing on Monday. In addition to the more than 7 million tests being distributed, the agency will have 820,000 tests remaining for any unanticipated emergency testing demands that could arise as COVID-19 cases spike around the country.

(With inputs from agencies.)