Health News Roundup: China reports 249 new COVID cases, including dozens from Hong Kong; Chinese firm to build COVID facilities as Hong Kong infections spiral and more

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

China reports 249 new COVID cases, including dozens from Hong Kong

Mainland China reported 249 new confirmed coronavirus infections for Feb 25, health officials said on Saturday, up from 224 a day earlier, with a record number of imported cases including dozens among arrivals from Hong Kong, where infections are surging. Of the new cases, 156 were imported and 93 were locally transmitted, the National Health Commission said.

Chinese firm to build COVID facilities as Hong Kong infections spiral

Hong Kong has contracted a Chinese firm to build eight isolation and treatment facilities to help fight a worsening COVID-19 outbreak, as the government said on Friday daily cases in the global financial hub surged beyond 10,000 - a new record.

The temporary facilities, to be built by China State Construction International Holdings Ltd and with a combined capacity of 50,000 beds, will be spread across Hong Kong, including on private land lent for free by developers.

Hong Kong families despair as COVID rules may separate them from children

Guada, a mother of two young children and pregnant with twins, cries herself to sleep at night, worried that Hong Kong's severe COVID-19 rules will separate her from her kids or force her to give birth alone. Anyone who tests positive for COVID-19 in Hong Kong, including infants and children, are put into isolation facilities with no family contact allowed, as authorities enforce their "dynamic zero" COVID policy.

England's estimated COVID R number roughly steady

The estimated range of England's COVID-19 reproduction "R" number is between 0.7 and 1.0, roughly steady compared to the previous week's range of 0.8 to 1.0, the UK Health Security Agency said on Friday. An R number between 0.7 and 1.0 means that for every 10 people infected, they will on average infect between 7 and 10 other people.

COVID-related diabetes may be temporary; racial disparities widen with Omicron infections

The following is a summary of some recent studies on COVID-19. They include research that warrants further study to corroborate the findings and that has yet to be certified by peer review. COVID-related diabetes may be temporary

Hong Kong allows COVID home testing as daily cases soar

Hong Kong health authorities said on Saturday they would adjust COVID testing procedures to allow some people to test from home to ease long queues at designated testing centers, as the city's outbreak proves increasingly hard to control. Health secretary Sophia Chan said a record 17,063 new COVID-19 daily cases had been recorded, and 66 deaths in the past 24-hours in the city of 7.4 million.

Drug distributors, J&J agree to finalize $26 billion opioid settlement

The three largest U.S. drug distributors and drugmaker Johnson & Johnson have agreed to finalize a proposed $26 billion settlement resolving claims by states and local governments that they helped fuel the U.S. opioid epidemic. Distributors McKesson Corp, AmerisourceBergen Corp and Cardinal Health Inc along with J&J had until Friday to decide whether enough cities and counties nationally had opted to join the landmark settlement to justify moving forward with it.

U.S. eases COVID indoor mask guidelines for most of country

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Friday dramatically eased its COVID-19 guidelines for masks, including in schools, a move that means 72% of the population reside in communities where indoor face coverings are no longer recommended. The new masking guidelines shift from a focus on the rate of COVID-19 transmission to monitoring local hospitalizations, hospital capacity and infection rates.

Japan's Shionogi seeks approval for COVID-19 pill

Drugmaker Shionogi & Co Ltd has applied for approval to make and sell its oral COVID-19 treatment in Japan, the firm said on Friday. Known as S-217622, the drug would become the country's third antiviral pill approved for coronavirus patients, following those developed by Pfizer Inc and Merck & Co.

EMA panel backs 3-month interval for Moderna booster

The advisory committee to the European Union's drug regulator on Friday said it has recommended reducing the interval between the second dose and booster dose of Moderna Inc's COVID-19 vaccine from six months to three months. Several countries including Greece and France have previously shortened the interval between the first two doses and the booster dose of COVID-19 vaccines, in the face of rising cases due to the Omicron variant. Some also authorized a fourth shot for the vulnerable.

(With inputs from agencies.)