Reuters Health News Summary

UK variant carries higher death risk U.S. COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations log biggest weekly drops since pandemic started The United States reported a 25% drop in new cases of COVID-19 to about 825,000 last week, the biggest fall since the pandemic started, although health officials said they were worried new variants of the virus could slow or reverse this progress.

Following is a summary of current health news briefs. Australia says active COVID-19 cases at near two-month low

Australia has fewer than 50 active cases of COVID-19, official data released on Tuesday showed, the lowest number in nearly two months, although authorities warned against complacency. A patient with COVID-19 in the state of Victoria has been transferred to an intensive care unit, the first such case in over two weeks, while authorities are still investigating a case in a worker at a quarantine hotel for returned travellers. China's 2020 new births fall 15% as coronavirus weighs

The number of new births in China plummeted 15% in 2020 from a year earlier, according to the Ministry of Public Security, with the onset of the novel coronavirus disrupting the economy and weighing on decisions to have a family. China saw 10.035 million new births last year, the ministry said on Monday, compared with 11.79 million births in 2019. Cuomo unveils plan to revive New York City arts, moves up indoor dining reopening

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo on Monday unveiled a plan to revive New York City's renowned arts scene from its pandemic-induced dormancy and also allowed city restaurants to reopen their indoor dining areas sooner than previously announced. The move to promote theater and music across the state, known as "New York Pops Up," comes amid a steady improvement in the measures of the spread of the coronavirus, and after many Broadway and other performers have been idle since last year. In October, Broadway theater owners extended their closures to May 31, hoping to reopen in June. Mexican president vows more COVID-19 vaccines as shots dwindle

Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador on Monday stressed he was working to ensure more COVID-19 vaccine shipments, as his government faced mounting criticism that its inoculation program is too slow and riddled with problems. After an initial burst a few weeks ago, vaccine supplies to the country have dried up and the number of doses injected has plummeted to a few thousand daily. WHO team to brief media on Wuhan findings on Tuesday

Members of a World Health Organization-led team looking for clues about the origins of COVID-19 will hold a briefing on Tuesday after nearly a month of meetings and site visits in the Chinese city of Wuhan, where the disease was first identified. The briefing was scheduled for 3.30 pm local time (0730 GMT) on Tuesday afternoon, according to the Chinese foreign ministry. Global health officials back AstraZeneca vaccine after South Africa study rings alarm

Health officials around the world gave their backing to the AstraZeneca vaccine against COVID-19, after a study showing it had little effect against mild disease caused by the variant now spreading quickly in South Africa rang global alarm. The prospect that new virus variants could evolve the ability to elude vaccines is one of the main risks hanging over the global strategy to emerge from the pandemic by rolling out vaccines this year. Japan minister: EU approved first shipment of Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine to Japan

The European Union has approved the first shipment of Pfizer Inc's COVID-19 vaccine to Japan, the minister overseeing Japan's vaccination programme said on Tuesday, as the country aims to start vaccination by mid-February. It appears each shipment requires EU approval, said the minister, Taro Kono. He did not say how many doses the first shipment would contain, or when it would be delivered. Death risk higher from UK virus variant; vaccine in pregnancy may protect newborns

The following is a roundup of some of the latest scientific studies on the novel coronavirus and efforts to find treatments and vaccines for COVID-19, the illness caused by the virus. UK variant carries higher death risk U.S. COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations log biggest weekly drops since pandemic started

The United States reported a 25% drop in new cases of COVID-19 to about 825,000 last week, the biggest fall since the pandemic started, although health officials said they were worried new variants of the virus could slow or reverse this progress. New cases of the virus have now fallen for four weeks in a row to the lowest level since early November, according to a Reuters analysis of state and county reports. The steepest drop was in California, where cases in the week ended Feb. 7 fell 48%. Only Oregon, Puerto Rico, Arkansas and Vermont saw cases rise. (Open https://tmsnrt.rs/2WTOZDR in an external browser to see a state-by-state graphic.) Coronavirus testing collapses in Myanmar after coup

Testing for coronavirus has collapsed in Myanmar after a military coup prompted a campaign of civil disobedience led by doctors and mass protests swept the country, official testing figures showed. The number of daily tests reported late on Monday stood at 1,987, the lowest number since Dec. 29, compared with more than 9,000 a week earlier and an average of more than 17,000 a day in the week before the Feb. 1 coup. Since the coup, tests per day have averaged 9,350.