Health News Roundup: Oxford COVID-19 trial will look at interim Phase III data after 53 infections; Russia resumes COVID-19 vaccine trial after pause and more

Oxford COVID-19 trial will look at interim Phase III data after 53 infections: investigator Oxford University will start an initial analysis of data from its late-stage trial of the experimental COVID-19 vaccine it is developing with AstraZeneca after 53 infections among its volunteers, the study's chief investigator said on Thursday.

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

Oxford COVID-19 trial will look at interim Phase III data after 53 infections: investigator

Oxford University will start an initial analysis of data from its late-stage trial of the experimental COVID-19 vaccine it is developing with AstraZeneca after 53 infections among its volunteers, the study's chief investigator said on Thursday. The Oxford Vaccine Group's director, Andrew Pollard, said in a media briefing there were "lots of cases" of infections in its Phase III trial in Britain, Brazil and South Africa.

Russia resumes COVID-19 vaccine trial after pause: medical staff

Russia has resumed the vaccination of new volunteers in its trial for its flagship COVID-19 Sputnik V vaccine after a short pause, staff at six of 29 trial clinics said, as Moscow moves to accelerate plans to inoculate the population. At the end of October, eight clinics told Reuters that the trial had been temporarily paused for new volunteers, with some clinics citing high demand and a shortage of doses.

Southern Europe rues exodus of doctors, nurses as coronavirus surges

Thirty-year-old Pep Iglesies emigrated to Canada from Spain in August for a new job that is much like his old one – taking care of coronavirus patients and working as a cardiologist. "I am a big defender of Spain's health system, but workers there are not treated well enough," he said, explaining that he had felt professionally thwarted back at home.

Greece tightens lockdown in northern Greece as cases climb

Greece will shut one border crossing with Albania and conduct rapid COVID-19 tests on all visitors at its land borders, its government spokesman said on Thursday, as cases in northern Greece continue to rise unabated. Greece has seen a rapid rise in coronavirus cases in recent weeks which forced it to impose a nationwide lockdown, its second this year. Its northern regions, including the city of Thessaloniki, have been hit the most.

COVID-19 cases in England rise 11%, proportion of positives stable: tracing service

Cases of COVID-19 rose 11% in England in the latest week, with the proportion of people testing positive staying steady, the country's test and trace programme said on Thursday, adding that contacts reached were still near a record low percentage. There were 167,369 people testing positive between 5 November and 11 November, up 11% on the previous week.

EU warns Hungary against use of Russia's COVID-19 vaccine

Hungary's plans to import and possibly use Russia's touted Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccine raise safety concerns and could damage trust in potential shots, the European Commission said, opening a new front in the EU's fraught relations with Budapest. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban's hard line against migration and what critics say is his increasingly authoritarian grip on power - an accusation he has repeatedly denied - as well as his pursuit of close relations with Russia have caused repeated clashes with the European Union.

AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine shows promise in elderly, trial results by Christmas

AstraZeneca and Oxford University's potential COVID-19 vaccine produced a strong immune response in older adults, data published on Thursday showed, with researchers expecting to release late-stage trial results by Christmas. The data, reported in part last month but published in full in The Lancet medical journal on Thursday, suggest that those aged over 70, who are at higher risk of serious illness and death from COVID-19, could build robust immunity.

U.S. COVID deaths top 250,000 as New York City schools halt in-person classes

The U.S. death toll from COVID-19 surpassed a grim new milestone of 250,000 lives lost on Wednesday, as New York City's public school system, the nation's largest, called a halt to in-classroom instruction, citing a jump in coronavirus infection rates. The decision to shutter schools and revert exclusively to at-home learning, starting on Thursday, came as state and local officials nationwide imposed restrictions on social and economic life to tamp down a surge in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations heading into winter.

Denmark says mutated coronavirus from mink farms most likely extinct

A new, mutated strain of the novel coronavirus stemming from mink farms in Denmark is "most likely" extinct, the health ministry said on Thursday, amid fears the new strain could compromise COVID-19 vaccines. "No further cases of mink variant with cluster 5 have been detected since Sept. 15, which is why the State Serum Institute assesses that this variant has most likely become extinct," the ministry said in a statement.

Lockdowns in Europe avoidable, vaccines 'not a silver bullet': WHO Europe

Fresh lockdowns in Europe are avoidable, including through near-universal mask-wearing, the head of the World Health Organization (WHO) Europe office said on Thursday. Hans Kluge, WHO regional director for Europe, said that some health systems are being overwhelmed on the continent where more than 29,000 deaths were recorded in the past week alone.

(With inputs from agencies.)