Health News Roundup: Medical oxygen running out in Ukraine as war rages, WHO warns; Bill that would protect abortion rights faces dim chances in U.S. Senate and more

Still, China is unlikely to join the majority of countries in approving foreign-made vaccines based on messenger RNA (mRNA) technology before making its own, experts said, though a slowing vaccination drive at home and in some other nations and improved supply of approved vaccines have raised questions of viability. Hong Kong domestic helpers abandoned as COVID takes toll A rapid spread in COVID-19 cases in Hong Kong has cast a spotlight on the plight of domestic helpers in the global financial hub after some were fired or made homeless by their employers when they tested positive for coronavirus.

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

Medical oxygen running out in Ukraine as war rages, WHO warns

Ukraine is running out of oxygen supplies that critically ill people need, the World Health Organization said on Sunday, calling for safe passage for emergency imports as combat rages. "The oxygen supply situation is nearing a very dangerous point in Ukraine. Trucks are unable to transport oxygen supplies from plants to hospitals across the country, including the capital Kyiv," WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus and WHO Regional Director for Europe Hans Kluge said in a statement.

Bill that would protect abortion rights faces dim chances in U.S. Senate

A bill to protect the right to have an abortion in the United States is likely to fail when it faces a procedural vote in the Senate on Monday. But with the future of abortion access in the country in doubt, Democratic leaders are facing pressure from abortion rights advocates to hold a vote on the Women’s Health Protection Act anyway.

China perseveres with mRNA COVID shot development amid Omicron, commercial uncertainty

China has spent over a year developing Pfizer-type COVID-19 vaccines that may even help it pivot from stringent "zero-COVID" restrictions, but a changed market and the Omicron variant have muddied prospects before efficacy data has even been published. Still, China is unlikely to join the majority of countries in approving foreign-made vaccines based on messenger RNA (mRNA) technology before making its own, experts said, though a slowing vaccination drive at home and in some other nations and improved supply of approved vaccines have raised questions of viability.

Hong Kong domestic helpers abandoned as COVID takes toll

A rapid spread in COVID-19 cases in Hong Kong has cast a spotlight on the plight of domestic helpers in the global financial hub after some were fired or made homeless by their employers when they tested positive for coronavirus. Hong Kong has around 340,000 domestic helpers, most hailing from either the Philippines or Indonesia. Many families in the city depend on live-in helpers for housekeeping and to look after the elderly and children, with the minimum wage set at HK$4,630 ($593) per month.

Arbutus files patent infringement lawsuit against Moderna

Arbutus Biopharma Corp said on Monday it had filed a lawsuit against Moderna Inc seeking damages for infringement of patents related to its COVID-19 vaccine. The lawsuit comes after a federal appeals court in December rejected Moderna's challenge to patents belonging to Arbutus Biopharma that were licensed to Genevant Sciences Inc.

Analysis-Is WHO's aim to vaccinate 70% of world by June still realistic?

Vaccinating 70% of the population in every country in the world against COVID-19 by mid-2022 has been the World Health Organization's (WHO) rallying cry to end the pandemic. But recently, public health experts say that while boosting immunity globally remains essential, the figure is neither achievable nor meaningful.

Healthcare Realty Trust to buy Healthcare Trust in $7.75 billion deal

Healthcare Realty Trust Inc will buy Healthcare Trust of America Inc for $7.75 billion, bringing together two of the largest owners of medical office buildings in the United States.

Healthcare Trust of America's shareholders will receive a total implied value of $35.08 per share, including a special cash dividend of $4.82 per share and a transaction exchange ratio of 1:1, the companies said.

Hong Kong mortuaries hit capacity as COVID deaths climb

Facilities for storing dead bodies at hospitals and public mortuaries in Hong Kong are at maximum capacity due to a record number of COVID-19 fatalities, the Hospital Authority said on Monday, as officials battle to control a surge in cases.

The global financial hub reported a daily record high of 34,466 new coronavirus infections and 87 deaths on Monday, health authorities said.

GSK halts three trials of respiratory virus vaccine in pregnant women

Britain's GSK said on Monday it had halted enrolment and vaccination in three trials of its experimental vaccine against the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) in pregnant women, the latest setback in developing a vaccine for the microbe. GSK said on Feb. 18 that it had paused a late-stage trial, dubbed "GRACE," as well as two other studies, based on safety recommendations from an independent committee but did not give further details on what had prompted the recommendations.

S.Korea rolls back COVID-19 vaccine pass as infections burden testing centres

South Korea will temporarily lift a requirement for vaccine passes or negative COVID-19 tests at a number of businesses to ease the strain on testing centres, authorities said on Monday, as the country faces a wave of Omicron infections. The move will allow public testing and health facilities to devote more resources to battling the wave of new cases, Interior Minister Jeon Hae-cheol told a COVID-19 response meeting.

(With inputs from agencies.)