Health News Roundup: Shanghai's high asymptomatic COVID rate could be due to including mild cases; Ferrero recalls some Kinder chocolates from U.S. over salmonella fears and more

"In any case, a wave is to be expected," Karl Lauterbach told journalists, a day after the lower house of parliament voted against a law compelling people over 60 to get vaccinated. Shanghai widens COVID testing as other Chinese cities impose curbs Shanghai on Friday announced a record 21,000 new cases and a third consecutive day of COVID testing as a lockdown of its 26 million people showed no sign of easing and other Chinese cities tightened curbs - even in places with no recent infections.

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

Shanghai's high asymptomatic COVID rate could be due to including mild cases

Shanghai's unusually high proportion of asymptomatic cases among its reported COVID-19 infections compared with the rest of China, could be partly explained by blurred lines between "mildly symptomatic" and asymptomatic cases. Shanghai's unusually high share of asymptomatic COVID-19 infections has raised suspicions that the city is classifying mildly symptomatic cases, a different counting method compared to the rest of the country, with comments from a local health adviser adding to the doubts.

Ferrero recalls some Kinder chocolates from U.S. over salmonella fears

Italian confectionery group Ferrero has voluntarily recalled some of its Kinder chocolates from the American shelves for a potential link with salmonella contamination. Kinder Happy Moments Chocolate Assortment and Kinder Mix Chocolate Treats basket are being recalled because they were manufactured in a facility where salmonella was detected, Ferrero North America said on Thursday.

India to widen COVID booster effort to all adults from Sunday

India will offer booster doses of the COVID-19 vaccine to all adults from Sunday, although free third doses will be limited to frontline workers and those older than 60 who get them at government centers. The country has given 1.85 billion vaccine doses among its population of 1.35 billion. Of these, 82% are the AstraZeneca made domestically and called Covishield.

Factbox-Latest on the worldwide spread of the coronavirus

Disease caused by the Omicron variant is on average around two days shorter than the Delta variant, a large study of vaccinated Britons who kept a smartphone log of their COVID-19 symptoms after breakthrough infections has shown. DEATHS AND INFECTIONS

Alabama passes bill making some transgender healthcare a felony

Alabama lawmakers passed a bill on Thursday that would criminalize gender-affirming healthcare for transgender youth, with a threat of 10 years in prison for medical providers. The legislation, passed 66-28 by the state's House of Representatives on the last day of the legislative session, is the latest in a flurry of measures in Republican-led states dealing with transgender youth.

Failed German COVID vaccine mandate means no further easing of curbs - minister

The failure of a German draft bill mandating that the elderly be vaccinated against COVID-19 means there will probably be a new wave of infections in autumn and no leeway for further easing of restrictions, Germany's health minister said on Friday. "In any case, a wave is to be expected," Karl Lauterbach told journalists, a day after the lower house of parliament voted against a law compelling people over 60 to get vaccinated.

Shanghai widens COVID testing as other Chinese cities impose curbs

Shanghai on Friday announced a record 21,000 new cases and a third consecutive day of COVID testing as a lockdown of its 26 million people showed no sign of easing and other Chinese cities tightened curbs - even in places with no recent infections. Beijing authorities intervened in Shanghai after its failure to isolate COVID by locking the city down in stages, and insists that the country stick to its zero-tolerance policy to prevent its medical system from breaking down.

Around 1 in 13 people in England had COVID-19 last week: ONS

Roughly 1 in 13 people in England, Wales and Scotland had COVID-19 last week, a similar ratio to the previous week, official estimates showed on Friday. In Northern Ireland, the estimated rate was 1 in 16, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said.

Shanghai jumps into group buying to stay fed during COVID lockdown

When Shanghai first went into full COVID-19 lockdown last week, Ping Mai wasn't expecting she'd become her housing compound's unofficial broker for its meat supply. With her and her neighbors stuck at home and struggling to buy food amid lockdown curbs that have shuttered stores and dramatically reduced the number of couriers, she is among millions that are trying to figure out how to buy fresh supplies on a daily basis.

Omicron spawns U.S. search for better kids' masks, new standard

The fast-spreading Omicron variant stoked U.S. interest in better masks for children to ward off COVID-19, and that is adding fuel to an effort that could set the stage for domestic oversight of their quality. Adult N95 masks are federally regulated and considered a gold standard. They were among the "better masks" U.S. health officials recommended in January to protect against Omicron. For children, no comparable U.S.-regulated mask exists, and some concerned parents turned to kid-sized masks made to South Korea's KF94 or China's N95 standards instead.