Health News Roundup: Fauci plans to retire by end of U.S. President Biden's term; EU secures 54,000 more doses of Bavarian Nordic's monkeypox vaccine and more

Last month the U.S Centers for Disease Control and Prevention cleared the way for use of the shot in children of that age group in the United States. Quebec avoids new COVID mandates ahead of fall election as hospitals fill up A new wave of COVID-19 cases and rising hospitalizations ahead of an October election are creating fresh headaches for Quebec's government, which says it has no plans to reintroduce mask mandates in the Canadian province despite calls by some doctors to do so.

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

Roche launches dual antigen and antibody diagnostic test for hepatitis c

Roche has launched an new dual antigen and antibody diagnostic test for hepatitis C, the Swiss pharmaceuticals company said on Monday, which it says will give an earlier diagnosis of the virus. The Elecsys HCV Duo is the first commercially available immunoassay that allows the simultaneous and independent determination of the hepatitis C virus status from a single human plasma or serum sample.

EU regulator reviews Pfizer-BioNTech COVID shot in children as young as 6 months

The European Medicines Agency on Monday started reviewing a low-dose version of BioNTech and Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine for use in children between the age of six months and four years. Last month the U.S Centers for Disease Control and Prevention cleared the way for use of the shot in children of that age group in the United States.

Quebec avoids new COVID mandates ahead of fall election as hospitals fill up

A new wave of COVID-19 cases and rising hospitalizations ahead of an October election are creating fresh headaches for Quebec's government, which says it has no plans to reintroduce mask mandates in the Canadian province despite calls by some doctors to do so. A global surge in cases, mostly of the Omicron BA.4/5 variants, has authorities grappling with rising illness while trying to avoid extending or reintroducing unpopular restrictions.

High blood thickness ups death risk; few problems with flu-COVID shots together

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. Blood thickness linked with death risk in severe COVID-19

North Korea says it is nearing end of COVID crisis as Asian neighbours fight resurgence

North Korea is on the path to "finally defuse" a crisis stemming from its first acknowledged outbreak of COVID-19, the state news agency said on Monday, while Asian neighbours battle a fresh wave of infections driven by Omicron subvariants. The North says 99.98% of its 4.77 million fever patients since late April have fully recovered, but due to an apparent lack of testing, it has not released any figures of those that proved positive.

Explainer-The health risks of extreme heat

Europe is sweltering under a record-breaking heatwave, with a number of governments issuing health emergency alerts. WHAT ARE THE RISKS?

Analysis-Years of neglect leaves sexual health clinics ill-prepared for monkeypox

Sexual health clinics on the frontline of the monkeypox response are already financially stretched, leaving the United States and UK ill-equipped to tackle the first major global health test since the COVID-19 pandemic. Infectious disease experts say sexual health clinics - which offer confidential walk-in diagnosis and treatment – are best placed to identify and treat cases of monkeypox, which is largely affecting men who have sex with men.

Fauci plans to retire by end of U.S. President Biden's term

Dr. Anthony Fauci, the chief medical adviser to the White House, confirmed he will retire by the end of President Joe Biden's first term, but it could come much earlier than that, the infectious disease expert told Reuters in an interview on Monday. "I haven't made an announcement of my retirement, but it could be anywhere from now until then," Fauci said in the telephone interview. "I don't know yet."

EU secures 54,000 more doses of Bavarian Nordic's monkeypox vaccine

The European Commission said on Monday it has secured about 54,000 additional doses of the monkeypox vaccine developed by biotech firm Bavarian Nordic as concern mounts over the disease amid a spike in cases. The supply deal follows an initial contract signed in June, when the European Union ordered about 110,000 doses of Bavarian Nordic's vaccine.

Uber settles U.S. lawsuit over disabled riders, vows to waive fees

Uber Technologies Inc will pay more than $2 million and waive wait time fees for disabled passengers to settle U.S. allegations that the ride share company had violated the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Department of Justice said on Monday. As part of a two-year agreement, Uber will waive wait time fees for certified disabled riders and pay $1,738,500 to more than 1,000 riders who complained about the charges and $500,000 to others harmed by the practice, the department said.