Health News roundup: No new daily COVID cases in Macau for first time in over a month; Biden says he is 'feeling great' after testing negative for COVID and more

Pfizer said the vaccine is in an initial proof-of-concept study to gather more data. No new daily COVID cases in Macau for first time in over a month Authorities in Macau reported no new COVID-19 infections on Wednesday for the first time since mid-June, after the city's worst outbreak of the disease led to a 12-day closure of casinos and locked down most of the world's biggest gambling hub.

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

WHO says more than 18,000 cases of monkeypox globally, most in Europe

There have been more than 18,000 cases of monkeypox reported globally from 78 countries, with the majority in Europe, the World Health Organization said on Wednesday. The WHO declared the outbreak a global health emergency on Saturday.

Pfizer starts mid-stage trial for vaccine against Omicron subvariant

Pfizer Inc and its German partner BioNTech SE said on Wednesday they had started a mid-stage study of a modified COVID-19 vaccine which targets both the original as well as the BA.2 Omicron subvariant. Pfizer said the vaccine is in an initial proof-of-concept study to gather more data.

No new daily COVID cases in Macau for first time in over a month

Authorities in Macau reported no new COVID-19 infections on Wednesday for the first time since mid-June, after the city's worst outbreak of the disease led to a 12-day closure of casinos and locked down most of the world's biggest gambling hub. The tally of infections since June 18 stood at 1,816, the government said in a statement, as the city grapples with the fast-spreading Omicron variant for the first time.

Biden says he is 'feeling great' after testing negative for COVID

U.S. President Joe Biden said on Wednesday he will now be able to return to work in person after testing negative for COVID-19, adding that he was "feeling great." "God willing, my symptoms were mild, my recovery was quick and I’m feeling great," Biden told staff and reporters gathered in the White House Rose Garden.

New monkeypox vaccine centre opens in Paris as infections rise

People lined up on Wednesday for the monkeypox vaccine at a new dedicated vaccine centre in Paris, which has been booked out for two days since opening. More than 1,800 people in France have caught the monkeypox virus, with most of the infections in the Paris region, representing around 10% of infections globally.

EU urges intensified effort to combat monkeypox

The European Commission urged the 27 EU members on Wednesday to take a more forceful and coordinated approach towards monkeypox now that the World Health Organization has declared it a global health emergency. In a letter to national health ministers, seen by Reuters, European Health Commissioner Stella Kyriakides noted that the European Union was the epicentre of detected cases and that the bloc needed to work together to control the outbreak.

GSK says U.S. FDA approves kidney disease drug for children

GSK Plc said on Wednesday the U.S. Food and Drug Administration had cleared its kidney disease drug Benlysta for the treatment of children aged 5 to 17 years. The clearance makes Benlysta the first treatment approved by the U.S. regulator for children with lupus nephritis, a kind of kidney inflammation.

CDC to make monkeypox nationally notifiable condition

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said on Wednesday it plans to make the rapidly spreading monkeypox disease a nationally notifiable condition. The designation, which is set to take effect on Aug. 1, updates criteria for reporting of data on cases by states to the agency and would allow the agency to monitor and respond to monkeypox even after the current outbreak recedes, the CDC said.

Exclusive-Cassava Sciences faces U.S. criminal probe tied to Alzheimer's drug, sources say

The U.S. Justice Department has opened a criminal investigation into Cassava Sciences Inc involving whether the biotech company manipulated research results for its experimental Alzheimer's drug, two people familiar with the inquiry said. The Justice Department personnel conducting the investigation into Austin, Texas-based Cassava specialize in examining whether companies or individuals have misled or defrauded investors, government agencies or consumers, according to the sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity. The sources did not provide details of the focus of the probe and whether the department was looking into any specific individuals.

Indian state research body ICMR invites vaccine makers to make monkeypox shots

Indian state research body ICMR said it has isolated the monkeypox virus and is inviting vaccine makers to consider making shots after the country reported some cases of infection.

India reported its first confirmed case of monkeypox earlier this month.

(With inputs from agencies.)