Coronavirus Breaking News

The coronavirus disease COVID-19 is currently reaching pandemic levels in various countries.

Sep 8, 2020 • 3:43 am CDT

Russia's Health Ministry Mikhail Murashko stated on September 7, 2020, 'that the first batch of Sputnik V vaccine has been produced for civilian circulation,' reported the Tass news agency. Previously, Minister Murashko explained that civilian production at this stage, 'meant vaccination of citizens from the risk groups, namely teachers and doctors, would be carried out simultaneously with post-registration clinical trials.'

On August 15, the Health Ministry announced the launch of the Sputnik V vaccine production.

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Sep 7, 2020 • 4:11 am CDT

The Chinese mainland registered 12 new COVID-19 cases from overseas travelers, local media reported on September 7, 2020. This is the 22nd consecutive day without new domestic transmissions being reported in China.

And just to the east of China, Japan's capital city of Tokyo reported just 75 new coronavirus infections, marking the lowest daily amount since early July, stated NIKKEI.

And throughout the SARS-CoV-2 virus pandemic, Tokyo, which has a population of about 37 million, has confirmed just 369 fatalities related to COVID-19.

Sep 7, 2020 • 2:34 am CDT

Dr. Theresa Tam, Canada’s Chief Public Health Officer, issued the following statement on September 6, 2020: “There have been 131,495 cases of COVID-19 in Canada.' Quebec has reported the majority of cases (63,497) as of September 6, 2020.

Furthermore, Dr. Tam said 'labs across Canada tested an average of 46,000 people per day over the past week, with 0.9% testing positive' for the SARS-CoV-2 virus.

And 'in terms of age, the trend of increased disease activity among younger individuals have continued for many weeks, with people under 40 years of age accounting for over 62% of cases in the latest data. However, senior care facilities continue reporting new coronavirus cases and COVID-19 related fatalities.'

Sep 6, 2020 • 8:04 pm CDT

The country of India reported a significant increase in new SARS-CoV-2 virus cases since the pandemic began, with more than 86,000 cases confirmed on September 5, 2020. Almost 25% of those cases came from the western state of Maharashtra, which has confirmed over 9 million cases during 2020.

Additionally, the Russian ambassador to India, Nikolay Kudashev, said Moscow is talking to the Indian government "on different levels" that could include "supplies, co-development and co-production" of Sputnik V, the first COVID-19 preventive vaccine, reported the Times of India on September 6, 2020.

According to a recent study published by The Lancet, the Sputnik V vaccine was found effective in initial trials, causing no serious side effects.

Sep 6, 2020 • 7:45 pm CDT

China-based Sinovac Biotech Ltd.'s CEO Yin Weidong exclusively told Reuters on September 6, 2020, about 2,000 to 3,000 employees and their families have already taken the experimental coronavirus vaccine, CoronaVac, which is in Phase 3 clinical trials. He said ConronaVac was offered on a voluntary basis, and that he, his wife, and parents participated in the vaccination program.

On August 28, 2020, CoronaVac was approved for emergency use as part of a program in China to vaccinate high-risk groups, such as medical staff.

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Sep 6, 2020 • 11:53 am CDT

A women's doubles team was suddenly withdrawn from the 2020 U.S. Open women's doubles tournament located in New York City (NYC), on September 5, 2020. These pro tennis women players were issued a quarantine notice by Nassau County officials earlier in the day. This Long Island county is located to the east of NYC.

Nassau County's Health Department determined these women could have been exposed to COVID-19 by a French male player, who tested positive with the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus over 1-week ago.

Mary Ellen Laurain, a spokeswoman for the Nassau County Department of Health, said medical privacy rules prevented her from discussing the cases of individual players. But she said 14-day quarantine orders are issued for any person living or staying in the county, including at hotels, who have had contact with someone who tested positive for COVID-19, reported Brandento.com.

The U.S. Tennis Association announced during a TV statement, it was “obligated to adhere to government guidance... since the women players were temporarily staying in Nassau County, which is located just a few miles from the US Open tournament facility in Queens.

However, on Friday, September 4, 2020, a male tennis player was allowed to compete even after the New York (NY) Department of Health had inquired about COVID-19 'bubble' violations at the US Open, reported the New York Post. NY's Interim Guidance for Sports and Recreation during the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency was published online on August 15, 2020.

Sep 6, 2020 • 11:11 am CDT

Kirill Dmitriev, the CEO of the Russian Direct Investment Fund, commented on September 4, 2020, 'The publication in The Lancet confirms the high safety and efficacy of the Russian vaccine Sputnik V and demonstrates the recognition of Russian scientists by the global scientific community."

"During a pandemic, it is especially important to use a vaccine platform with proven safety, as Sputnik V does, so as not to leave the world without effective protection from coronavirus, but also not to risk people's lives using untested experimental technologies."

"We are now witnessing a change in the global approach towards the registration of vaccines with the USA, UK, China, and other countries following Russia's path in fast-tracking registration."

The U.S. FDA has already scheduled on October 22, 2020, the 161st meeting of the Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research’s, Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee, which will discuss, in general, the development, authorization, and/or licensure of vaccines to prevent COVID-19.

“The FDA has scheduled a meeting and is also prepared to rapidly schedule additional meetings of this committee upon submission of any applications as appropriate,” said FDA Commissioner Stephen M. Hahn, M.D., in a recent press statement. “I want to assure the American people that the process and review for vaccine development will be as open and transparent as possible.”

Sep 6, 2020 • 9:49 am CDT

Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer’s Executive Order 2020-176 issued on September 3, 2020, relaxed restrictions on organized youth sports, and subsequently, the Michigan High School Athletic Association deemed it possible to play football in 2-weeks.

However, the University of Michigan and the Big Ten Conference continue debating the future of college football during the Fall 2020 season in the state of Michigan. The Big Ten postponed fall sports, including football, on August 11th.

According to the Detroit News, regardless of the Big Ten's decision(s), Michigan Wolverine players are conducting voluntary practices 4-days a week, preparing to be tested by NFL scouts.

The state of Michigan reported 838 new coronavirus cases along with 8 COVID-19 related-fatalities on September 5, 2020. This new data indicates Michigan has not 'bent-the-COVID-19-curve.'

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Sep 6, 2020 • 9:07 am CDT

A team of doctors at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York published a letter in the American Journal of Respiratory & Critical Care Medicine on August 6, 2020, which says 'some patients with COVID-19 pneumonia demonstrate severe hypoxemia despite having near-normal lung compliance, a combination not commonly seen in typical acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS).

The disconnect between gas exchange and lung mechanics in COVID-19 pneumonia has raised the question of whether the mechanisms of hypoxemia in COVID-19 pneumonia differ from those in classical ARDS. Their new research found dual-energy CT imaging demonstrated pulmonary vessel dilatation and autopsies have shown pulmonary capillary deformation in patients with COVID-19 pneumonia.

This new finding supports a previous study published on April 14, 2020, that said 'Type L and Type H patients are best identified by CT scan and are affected by different pathophysiological mechanisms. "This combination is almost never seen in ARDS," Luciano Gattinoni, M.D., of the University of Gottingen, wrote in an editorial in Intensive Care Medicine.

And, 'understanding the correct pathophysiology is crucial to establishing the basis for appropriate COVID-19 treatment.'

Sep 6, 2020 • 8:45 am CDT

In this single-center, retrospective cohort study published by the JAMA on September 3, 2020, researchers said 'likely deficient vitamin D status was associated with increased COVID-19 risk.' This study's multivariable analysis tested whether vitamin D status before COVID-19 testing was associated with testing positive for COVID-19, controlling for demographic and comorbidity indicators.

And on May 13, 2020, a non-peer-reviewed study found 'Vitamin D deficiency that is not sufficiently treated was found associated with COVID-19 risk.'

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However, since these were not placebo-controlled studies, the findings suggest that randomized trials are needed to determine whether vitamin D affects COVID-19 risk.

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Sep 6, 2020 • 8:31 am CDT

A new study reported good news regarding mothers infected with the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus. According to a study published by the JAMA on August 19, 2020, the SARS-CoV-2 has not been isolated from breast milk, and there are no documented cases of transmission of infectious virus to the infant through breast milk.

“Detection of viral RNA does not equate to infection. It has to grow and multiply in order to be infectious and we did not find that in any of our samples,” said Christina Chambers, Ph.D., MPH, co-principal investigator of the study, professor of pediatrics at UC San Diego School of Medicine, in a press statement. “Our findings suggest breast milk itself is not likely a source of infection for the infant.”

This research indicates the potential for viral transmission through breast milk remains a critical question for women infected with SARS-CoV-2 who wish to breastfeed.

On May 5, 2020, the U.S. CDC said 'We do not know whether mothers with COVID-19 can transmit the virus via breast milk, but the limited data available suggest this is not likely. Whether and how to start or continue breastfeeding should be determined by the mother in coordination with her family and healthcare providers.'

Sep 5, 2020 • 3:26 pm CDT

The European CDC's COVID-19 country overview provides current information on the evolving epidemiological situation for the COVID-19 pandemic, both by country and for the EU/EEA and the UK as a whole, using weekly and daily data from a range of sources, as of Week #35, on September 4, 2020.

Increases in the 14-day COVID-19 case notification rates compared to the previous week (#34) have been observed in 12 countries (Croatia, Czechia, Estonia, France, Hungary, Italy, Lithuania, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, and the United Kingdom). Rates in these countries have been increasing for between two and 56 days, reporters the ECDC.

Additionally, the ECDC reported 'all countries that reported influenza-like illness and/or acute respiratory infection syndromic surveillance data up to week #35, have observed consultation rates that remain similar to or lower than those reported during the same period in the last 2-years.

This data indicates the 2020-2021 flu season in Europe has not started.

Sep 5, 2020 • 12:43 pm CDT

According to data published on September 5, 2020, the South American country of Brazil appears to have reduced the number of new SARS-CoV-2 virus cases and fatalities related to COVID-19 disease. This data shows Brazil's daily trends have been declining for the past few days.

To reduce future coronavirus infections, Brazil's government has earmarked millions of dollars for the purchase and future production of coronavirus preventive vaccines. As an example, the technology institute for the Brazilian state of Paraná, which has agreed to produce Russia’s “Sputnik-V” COVID-19 vaccine, announced on September 4, 2020, it plans to conduct phase 3 clinical trials on 10,000 volunteers at the start of 2021, reported Reuters.

Sep 5, 2020 • 11:48 am CDT

China National Biotec Group and Sinovac Biotech Ltd announced on September 5, 2020, there are (4) additional countries agreeing to run late-stage clinical tests of their coronavirus vaccine candidates.

Sinovac's vaccine candidate CoronaVac, which is currently being tested in Brazil and Indonesia, also 'obtained approvals from (2) other countries for Phase 3 trials,' said Helen Yang, senior director of global strategy and business development at Sinovac.

'Several tens of thousand people have already taken CoronaVac through the emergency program', Yang informed Reuters. Sinovac's CoronaVac was approved for emergency use as part of a program in China to vaccinate high-risk groups on August 28, 2020.

Sep 5, 2020 • 7:21 am CDT

Dr. Zubin Damania, commonly known as ZDoggMD, produced a new video on August 30, 2020, which helps clarify the U.S. CDC's reporting that '6% of all the fatalities that listed COVID-19 disease only listed coronavirus disease, meaning they didn’t list anything else. It was interpreted by people as being that they were dying “with” COVID and not “of” COVID.

“That could mean ... the people filling out the death certificates weren’t complete, and they didn’t put the other stuff, such as comorbidities, or, COVID-19 was the only thing they had, and they truly died purely of COVID."

On September 4, 2020, the CDC published a new report confirming 'deaths attributed to pneumonia, influenza, or COVID-19 (PIC) reported between 2/1/2020 to 8/29/2020. In total, there have been 278,724 PIC-related fatalities reported.

Based on death certificate data, the CDC indicated the percentage of PIC fatalities for week #35 was 6.6%.