Health News Roundup: Vietnam coronavirus outbreak spreads to Hanoi as nine more cases confirmed; China reports 52 new mainland COVID-19 cases vs 54 a day earlier and more

New York prosecutor says state 'undercounted' nursing home COVID-19 deaths by up to 50% New York state’s health department may have undercounted the COVID-19 death toll among state nursing home residents by as much as 50%, according to a report released by the state attorney general's office on Thursday.

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

Vietnam coronavirus outbreak spreads to Hanoi as nine more cases confirmed

Vietnam reported nine more new COVID-19 infections early on Friday as the country's first outbreak for nearly two months spread to Hanoi, the capital, where the ruling Communist party is currently holding its key five-yearly congress. The new cases, including one in Hanoi and eight in nearby Haiphong city and Hai Duong, Quang Ninh and Bac Ninh provinces, brought the total number of cases in the outbreak that began on Thursday to 93, the Ministry of Health said.

China reports 52 new mainland COVID-19 cases vs 54 a day earlier

Mainland China reported 52 new COVID-19 cases on Jan. 28, down from 54 cases a day earlier, the country's national health authority said on Friday. The National Health Commission said in a statement that 36 of the new cases were locally transmitted infections. Asymptomatic cases, which China does not classify as confirmed COVID-19 cases, rose to 42 from 28 a day earlier.

WHO-led team in Wuhan probing COVID origins meet Chinese scientists

A World Health Organization-led team of experts investigating the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic began meeting with Chinese scientists on Friday, and the WHO said the group plans to visit labs, markets and hospitals in Wuhan. On Thursday, the team completed two weeks of quarantine following its arrival in China, moving to a lakeside hotel in the central Chinese city where the deadly virus emerged in late 2019.

AstraZeneca to seek Japan's approval of COVID-19 vaccine as early as mid-February: Yomiuri

AstraZeneca Plc will file for Japanese approval of its COVID-19 vaccine as early as mid-February, the Yomiuri newspaper reported, making it the second vaccine maker to seek approval in Japan. Although the British-Swedish company started domestic vaccine trials last summer, it fell behind its rival Pfizer Inc in the schedule to inoculate the Japanese public after Pfizer sought government approval in December.

Novavax says COVID-19 vaccine 89% effective in UK trial, less in South Africa, shares jump

Novavax Inc said on Thursday its coronavirus vaccine was 89.3% effective in preventing COVID-19 in a trial conducted in the United Kingdom, and was nearly as effective in protecting against the more highly contagious variant first discovered in the UK, according to a preliminary analysis. A mid-stage trial of the vaccine in South Africa, where a troubling new variant of the virus is common, showed 60% effectiveness among people who did not have HIV.

New York prosecutor says state 'undercounted' nursing home COVID-19 deaths by up to 50%

New York state's health department may have undercounted the COVID-19 death toll among state nursing home residents by as much as 50%, according to a report released by the state attorney general's office on Thursday. The report, issued while the state prosecutor's office continues to investigate nursing homes' response to the COVID-19 pandemic, indicated that some facilities underreported deaths to the state health department. It also noted that the health department has not counted the deaths of nursing home residents who were transferred to and died in hospitals, contributing to a drastic underrepresentation of the nursing home death toll.

India's Serum Institute seeks approval to conduct local trial for Novavax COVID-19 vaccine - CEO

The Serum Institute of India, the world's biggest vaccine makers, has sought the drug regulator's permission to conduct a small domestic trial of the Novavax Inc COVID-19 vaccine that was found to be 89.3% effective in a UK trial, its CEO told Reuters on Friday. South Korea delays easing social distancing amid sign of another wave

South Korea has delayed until Sunday any easing of social distancing measures because outbreaks involving mission schools are threatening to undermine efforts to keep new infections under control ahead of the Lunar New Year holidays. The number of cases linked to Christian schools nationwide grew further on Friday, reaching 344 infections in total in seven facilities.

First known U.S. cases of potent South African COVID-19 variant found in South Carolina

A potent coronavirus variant originating in South Africa and found to be partly resistant to current vaccines and antibody treatments has been detected for the first time in the United States in two South Carolina patients, health officials said on Thursday. Medical experts said arrival of the so-called South African variant presented an alarming new challenge in efforts to contain a raging pandemic that has claimed at least 430,000 American lives in 11 months, as authorities struggle to launch the largest mass-vaccination campaign in U.S. history.

Mexico's COVID-19 death toll surpasses India, becomes world's third highest

Mexico on Thursday surpassed India in confirmed COVID-19 deaths, giving the Latin American country the third-highest toll worldwide, according to a Reuters tally of official data. Mexico's health ministry reported 18,670 new confirmed cases of coronavirus infections and 1,506 additional fatalities, bringing the total number of cases to 1,825,519 and deaths to 155,145.