Reuters Health News Summary

Catalonia's public health secretary Josep Maria Argimon said this second detected case, along with the expansion of the British variant, were "not good news" amid efforts to tackle the pandemic. Britain defends Oxford vaccine roll-out among all ages amid European scepticism Britain's health minister on Wednesday defended the country's vaccine roll-out strategy after scepticism emerged in Europe, saying the science supported a decision to give the shot developed by Oxford University and AstraZeneca to all age groups.

Following is a summary of current health news briefs. WHO team probing COVID-19 visits Wuhan lab, meets 'Bat Woman'

A team of investigators led by the World Health Organization visited a virus research laboratory in China's central city of Wuhan and met with a prominent virologist there in its search for clues to the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic. The experts spent about 3-1/2 hours at the heavily-guarded Wuhan Institute of Virology, which has been at the centre of some conspiracy theories that claim a laboratory leak caused the city's first coronavirus outbreak at the end of 2019.

Singapore approves Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine in Asia first Singapore has become the first country in Asia to approve Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine as it begins rolling out its immunisation programme to the wider population. The city-state expects to receive the first shipment of the Moderna shots around March, adding to its stock of Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine approved in December.

Sinopharm's COVID-19 vaccine remained active against S.Africa variant, effect reduced - lab study Two COVID-19 vaccines from Chinese companies including Sinopharm triggered immunity against a highly transmissible coronavirus variant first found in South Africa, but their effect appeared weaker, a small-sample lab study released on Tuesday showed. Variants of the virus have stirred concern that they might weaken effects of vaccines and treatments developed prior to their emergence.

COVAX poised to issue vaccine distribition plan - GAVI, WHO Figures for the doses of COVID-19 vaccines being allocated mainly to 92 low- and middle-income countries by June from the international COVAX scheme will be published on Wednesday, agencies said. In all 190 countries have joined COVAX, launched last April with the goal of ensuring equitable access to vaccines during the pandemic.

Spain detects second case of South African COVID-19 variant Spain has detected its second known case of infection with the South African coronavirus variant in the northeastern region of Catalonia, officials said on Wednesday, a day after the government decided to restrict air travel with Brazil and South Africa. Catalonia's public health secretary Josep Maria Argimon said this second detected case, along with the expansion of the British variant, were "not good news" amid efforts to tackle the pandemic.

Britain defends Oxford vaccine roll-out among all ages amid European scepticism Britain's health minister on Wednesday defended the country's vaccine roll-out strategy after scepticism emerged in Europe, saying the science supported a decision to give the shot developed by Oxford University and AstraZeneca to all age groups. France, Belgium and Germany are among the European Union countries to recommend that Oxford's vaccine is only given to under 65s, while French President Emmanuel Macron was quoted on Friday as saying that the shot appeared "quasi-ineffective" among those over 65.

Dutch to roll out rapid breath tests for COVID-19 The Netherlands is to introduce rapid COVID-19 breath tests to sites across the country to speed up the testing process and make it less intrusive. Testing facilities in Amsterdam were this week the first to start using the SpiroNose, a machine which requires a person to breathe into it to indicate a possible coronavirus infection within a minute.

What you need to know about the coronavirus right now Here's what you need to know about the coronavirus right now: WHO-led COVID-19 probe team in China visits Wuhan virus lab

Over 300 million Indians may have COVID-19 - source citing government study About one in four of India's 1.35 billion people may have been infected with the coronavirus, said a source with direct knowledge of a government serological survey, suggesting the country's real caseload was many times higher than reported.

India has confirmed 10.8 million COVID-19 infections, the most anywhere outside the United States. But the survey, whose findings are much more conservative than a private one from last week, indicates India's actual cases may have crossed 300 million. AstraZeneca, Oxford expect 'next generation' COVID-19 vaccine to tackle variants by autumn - executive

AstraZeneca and Oxford University aim to produce a next generation of COVID-19 vaccines that will protect against variants as soon as the autumn before the Northern Hemisphere winter, an executive at the British drugmaker said on Wednesday. Asked when AstraZeneca could produce a next generation vaccine to tackle new variants, AstraZeneca research chief Mene Pangalos said "as rapidly as possible".