Health News Roundup: Russia reports record 737 COVID-19 deaths; UK reports highest number of new COVID cases since Jan. 29 and more

A WHO group evaluating therapies concluded treating severe and critical COVID patients with these so-called interleukin-6 antagonists that block inflammation "reduces the risk of death and the need for mechanical ventilation". COVAX aims to resolve Venezuela COVID-19 vaccine roadblocks after Maduro 'ultimatum' The COVAX vaccine-sharing facility is aiming to overcome roadblocks to the shipment of coronavirus shots to Venezuela "as soon as possible," a spokesman for the GAVI alliance said on Tuesday.

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

Russia reports record 737 COVID-19 deaths

Russia reported a record 737 deaths from coronavirus-linked causes in the past 24 hours on Tuesday, pushing the national death toll to 139,316. The country confirmed 23,378 new COVID-19 cases, including 5,498 in Moscow, taking the official national tally since the pandemic began to 5,658,672.

UK reports highest number of new COVID cases since Jan. 29

Britain reported the highest daily number of new COVID cases since Jan. 29 on Tuesday, and the greatest number of deaths within 28 days of a positive test since April 23. Tuesday's figures showed that there were 28,773 new cases, up from 27,334 on Monday, and 37 deaths.

England to scrap self-isolation for children, fully vaccinated after COVID contact

People who have been fully vaccinated and children will from Aug. 16 no longer have to self-isolate after close contact with someone who tests positive for COVID-19, health minister Sajid Javid said on Tuesday. Prime Minister Boris Johnson set out plans on Monday to end social and economic COVID-19 restrictions in England on July 19, a test of whether a rapid vaccine rollout offers enough protection from the more infectious Delta variant.

Biden zeroes in on Delta variant as U.S. nears 160 million fully vaccinated against COVID-19

U.S. President Joe Biden on Tuesday encouraged Americans who have not yet been vaccinated against COVID-19 to get their shots to protect themselves from the widely-spreading, highly contagious Delta variant of the coronavirus. Biden told reporters the United States will reach a mark of 160 million Americans being fully vaccinated by the end of this week, but he warned against complacency as the Delta variant spreads among those who have not been inoculated.

U.S. administers 331.2 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines - CDC

The United States has administered 331,214,347 doses of COVID-19 vaccines in the country as of Tuesday morning and distributed 383,068,840 doses, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said. Those figures are up from the 330,604,253 vaccine doses the CDC said had gone into arms by July 4 out of 383,068,740 doses delivered.

WHO recommends Roche, Sanofi drugs for COVID-19 to cut death risk

The World Health Organization on Tuesday recommended using arthritis drugs Actemra from Roche and Kevzara from Sanofi with corticosteroids for COVID-19 patients after data from some 11,000 patients showed they cut the risk of death. A WHO group evaluating therapies concluded treating severe and critical COVID patients with these so-called interleukin-6 antagonists that block inflammation "reduces the risk of death and the need for mechanical ventilation".

COVAX aims to resolve Venezuela COVID-19 vaccine roadblocks after Maduro 'ultimatum'

The COVAX vaccine-sharing facility is aiming to overcome roadblocks to the shipment of coronavirus shots to Venezuela "as soon as possible," a spokesman for the GAVI alliance said on Tuesday. The comments from GAVI, the Vaccine Alliance which runs COVAX with the World Health Organization, came after President Nicolas Maduro on Sunday said he was giving the COVAX system an "ultimatum" to send doses to the crisis-stricken South American country or return the money Venezuela had already paid.

EU orders nearly 40 million additional J&J COVID vaccines

European Union countries have ordered nearly 40 million additional doses of the COVID-19 vaccine produced by Johnson & Johnson, a spokesman for the EU Commission said, despite the company's supply shortfalls in the first half of the year. The move is a sign of confidence in the single-dose vaccine but it also shows a cautious approach as the order placed is far below what was possible under the contract.

Novartis to make Leqvio for U.S. in Austria to overcome FDA delay

Novartis will manufacture anti-cholesterol drug Leqvio at its own plant in Austria to supply the United States as it seeks U.S. approval that has been delayed by regulatory concerns over a contractor's Italian facility. Leqvio, which cost Novartis $10 billion in a 2019 acquisition, has been approved in Europe but U.S. clearance stalled after the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) questioned "unresolved facility inspection-related conditions" at the Italian plant of Novartis supplier Corden Pharma.

COVAX says it's negotiating with new vaccine suppliers

The COVAX vaccine-sharing facility expects to have 1.9 billion doses of COVID-19 vaccines available by the end of this year, including 1.5 billion earmarked for the poorest countries, its managing director said on Tuesday. Aurelia Nguyen was addressing a meeting of the World Health Organization (WHO) as COVAX seeks to put early supply difficulties behind it.