Health News Roundup: India records 44,489 new coronavirus cases; WHO experts would like to go to Wuhan, China, to probe COVID-19 origin and more

Officials in the United States, the worst-affected country in the world, urged Americans to stay home for the imminent Thanksgiving holiday as soaring numbers of COVID-19 patients pushed medical professionals to the brink.

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

Americans defy pandemic, political leaders to travel for Thanksgiving

Americans defied pleas from state and local officials to stay home for the Thanksgiving holiday in the face of the surging coronavirus pandemic, triggering fresh warnings from health officials with the release of vaccines still weeks away. U.S. President-elect Joe Biden joined in the calls for safety, urging people to forgo big family gatherings, wear protective masks and maintain social distancing.

India records 44,489 new coronavirus cases

India recorded 44,489 new coronavirus infections, data from the health ministry showed on Thursday, the 19th straight day that single-day cases have stayed below the 50,000 mark. India's coronavirus tally now stands at 9.27 million, the second-highest in the world, after the United States.

As COVID-19 cases soar, U.S. families weigh risks of welcoming college kids home

Nina Jain was regularly checking the nation's COVID-19 data and holding out hope that her son Antonio, a sophomore who attends college in Iowa, could come home to Sacramento, California, for Thanksgiving this week. Jain, who works in a government office, had her hopes dashed when she saw U.S. COVID-19 cases rise by an average of more than 168,000 per day last week. Antonio canceled his flight on Friday, hours before it was scheduled to depart, heeding public health warnings that a nationwide dispersal of college students heading home for the holidays could fuel a deadly wave of infections.

WHO experts would like to go to Wuhan, China, to probe COVID-19 origin

Researchers led by the World Health Organization would like to go back to a wholesale food market in Wuhan in China to follow up initial cases of COVID-19 which emerged in the city and investigate how the virus probably first spread from bats. Peter Ben Embarek, a WHO expert in animal diseases, said that the team would like to re-interview early COVID-19 cases and find infected workers who may have "important information" on where they may have picked up the new coronavirus.

Special Report: To reopen or not to reopen - That is the fraught question for U.S. schools

After a two-week deluge of calls and messages from parents - and at least one death threat - the school board in Chandler, Arizona, called a special meeting this fall. The board would revisit its decision, prompted by the coronavirus, to temporarily close local campuses and offer all classes online.

South Korea reports biggest COVID-19 spike since March

South Korea reported 583 new coronavirus cases on Thursday, the highest since March, as it grapples with a third wave of infections that appears to be worsening despite tough new social distancing measures. The government reimposed strict social distancing rules on Seoul and surrounding regions this week, only a month after they had been eased following the second wave of infections.

Global coronavirus cases surpass 60 million infections – Reuters tally

The global tally of confirmed coronavirus cases hit 60 million on Wednesday, with the pace of new infections accelerating and the United States reporting record numbers of hospitalizations, according to a Reuters tally. Officials in the United States, the worst-affected country in the world, urged Americans to stay home for the imminent Thanksgiving holiday as soaring numbers of COVID-19 patients pushed medical professionals to the brink.

Adults, children must move more to stay fit in pandemic era: WHO

All adults should do a minimum of 150 minutes of vigorous physical activity per week, even more vital for well-being and mental health in the COVID-19 era, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Wednesday in its first guidance in a decade. It recommended that children and adolescents have an average of one hour of daily physical exercise and limit time in front of electronic screens.

Mexico City seeks to 'break the chain' of coronavirus with rapid tests, QR codes

Mexico City has launched a test-and-trace approach to containing the coronavirus, after a rise in hospitalizations that has raised fears of a new economic lockdown in one of the world's largest urban centers. Mexico has one of the lowest testing rates globally, and for months has favored building capacity at hospitals over generating detailed data about localized outbreaks.

Colombia extends health state of emergency until end of February

Colombia's government will extend its health state of emergency by three months, President Ivan Duque said on Wednesday, as he urged people to avoid crowds and keep up safety measures to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus. The Andean country has had over 1.27 million confirmed cases of coronavirus and nearly 36,000 deaths. Active cases number 57,260.

(With inputs from agencies.)