Health News Roundup: Germany's confirmed coronavirus cases rise by 32,195; Mutated coronavirus variant from S.Africa found in UK, health minister and more

Mutated coronavirus variant from S.Africa found in UK, health minister says A new, potentially more infectious variant of the novel coronavirus that causes COVID-19 has been found in Britain in cases linked to South Africa, British Health Secretary Matt Hancock said on Wednesday.

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

Germany's confirmed coronavirus cases rise by 32,195 - RKI

The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Germany increased by 32,195 to 1,587,115, data from the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) for infectious diseases showed on Thursday. The reported death toll rose by 802 to 28,770, the tally showed.

Explainer-U.S. vaccine rollout's next challenge: Verifying who is 'essential'

As U.S. industries push for their workers to receive early access to COVID-19 vaccines, local health departments and pharmacies face the challenge of verifying the identity of essential workers to ensure no one cuts the line. The vaccination campaign under way is now focused on hospital staff and nursing homes, tightly controlled environments where verification is relatively simple. But beginning in January or February, Americans employed in a range of industries will be eligible for inoculation, provided they are essential frontline workers.

Mutated coronavirus variant from S.Africa found in UK, health minister says

A new, potentially more infectious variant of the novel coronavirus that causes COVID-19 has been found in Britain in cases linked to South Africa, British Health Secretary Matt Hancock said on Wednesday. South Africa's health department said last week that a new genetic mutation of the virus had been discovered and might be responsible for a recent surge in infections there.

Finding community at a COVID-19 quarantine centre in Myanmar

In another world, I could have been checking into a hotel. Only instead of staff, two fellow COVID-19 patients welcomed me at the door, with a plastic box filled with toiletries, snacks and masks, and showed me to a small room I would share with another woman.

Moderna expects its COVID-19 vaccine to protect against UK coronavirus variant

Moderna Inc said on Wednesday it expects that the immunity induced by its COVID-19 vaccine would be protective against the coronavirus variants reported in the UK. The company said it plans to run tests to confirm the vaccine's activity against any strain.

Sit, stay, detect COVID! Chile dogs report for duty at Santiago airport

The task of sniffing out passengers infected with COVID-19 at Chile's Santiago international airport is going to the dogs. A team of Golden Retrievers and Labradors sit when they smell the virus and get a treat. The canines sport green "biodetector" jackets with a red cross.

Millions of U.S. vaccine doses sit on ice, putting 2020 goal in doubt

Millions of COVID-19 vaccines are sitting unused in U.S. hospitals and elsewhere a week into the massive inoculation campaign, putting the government's target for 20 million vaccinations this month in doubt. As of Wednesday morning, only 1 million shots of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine had been given, about one-third of the first shipment sent last week. Over 9.5 million doses of vaccines, including Moderna's, have now been sent to states, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Singapore confirms first case of new coronavirus variant found in UK

Singapore has confirmed its first case of the new coronavirus variant found in the United Kingdom, the city-state said, while 11 others who were already in quarantine had returned preliminarily positive results for the new strain. All the cases, which were imported from Europe, had been placed in 14-day quarantine at dedicated facilities or isolated upon arrival, and their close contacts had been quarantined earlier.

How South Korea's early coronavirus success left it scrambling to contain a new wave

On the fourth floor of the Incheon city hall, South Korean epidemiological investigator Jang Hanaram's office is stuffed with six desks, two folding cots, and a table strewn with instant noodles, energy drinks and digestive aids. Jang is one of six staffers who work 24-hour shifts in the cramped space, frantically tracing and contacting potential coronavirus cases in South Korea's third largest city as the country battles its largest wave of infections yet.

One million Americans vaccinated for COVID; Tennessee new epicenter

Tennessee emerged alongside California on Wednesday as an epicenter of the latest COVID-19 surge even while more than 1 million Americans have been vaccinated as U.S. political leaders sought to guard against a highly contagious coronavirus variant sweeping across Britain. Tennessee averaged nearly 128 new infections per 100,000 people over the last week, the highest of any U.S. state, according to U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data. California stood second at 111 new cases per 100,000 residents.