Health News Roundup: Walgreens resumes immunization services ahead of flu season; Thai trials of COVID-19 vaccine reach make-or-break stage and more

Beijing coronavirus cases to see 'cliff-like' drop this week: Chinese expert Beijing will see a "cliff-like" drop in new cases in the current coronavirus outbreak by the end of this week with efforts to control the spread of infections in the Chinese capital underway, said an expert at the national health authority.

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

Hong Kong reports 30 new coronavirus cases on June 22, all imported

Hong Kong on Monday reported 30 imported new coronavirus cases, taking the number of cases in the city to 1,162. The newly reported cases involve 15 males and 15 females aged between 1 and 61, the Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health said.

Walgreens resumes immunization services ahead of flu season

Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc said on Monday it has resumed vaccination services at its pharmacies ahead of the upcoming flu season, which health officials have warned may coincide with the second wave of COVID-19 cases. The move follows recently updated guidelines https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/pandemic-guidance/index.html  from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the U.S drugstore chain said.

Thai trials of COVID-19 vaccine reach make-or-break stage

Thai scientists administered a second dose of an experimental COVID-19 vaccine to monkeys on Monday, looking for another positive response to enable clinical trials in humans as early as October. The Thai vaccine is one of at least 100 being worked on globally as the world reels from a devastating virus that has infected more than 8.7 million and killed 461,000, with Sunday's 183,000 cases the highest reported in a single day.

Beijing coronavirus cases to see 'cliff-like' drop this week: Chinese expert

Beijing will see a "cliff-like" drop in new cases in the current coronavirus outbreak by the end of this week with efforts to control the spread of infections in the Chinese capital underway, said an expert at the national health authority. The city of over 20 million people reported its first case linked to a wholesale food center in the southwest of Beijing in the latest wave on June 11. So far, 236 people have been infected in the worst outbreak in Beijing since COVID-19 was identified at a seafood market in the central city of Wuhan late last year.

India reports record coronavirus cases, embassies warn on stretched hospitals

India reported a record number of new coronavirus cases on Monday and a death toll of more than 400 people in the past 24 hours as foreign embassies warned their citizens in the country that hospitals might not have beds for them. The 15,000 new cases brought India's total to more than 425,000, behind only the United States, Brazil, and Russia, according to data from the federal health ministry.

Antibody levels in recovered COVID-19 patients decline quickly: research

Levels of an antibody found in recovered COVID-19 patients fell sharply in 2-3 months after infection for both symptomatic and asymptomatic patients, according to a Chinese study, raising questions about the length of any immunity against the novel coronavirus. The research, published in Nature Medicine on June 18, highlights the risks of using COVID-19 'immunity passports' and supports the prolonged use of public health interventions such as social distancing and isolating high-risk groups, researchers said.

South Korea says it is battling 'second wave' of coronavirus

Health authorities in South Korea said for the first time on Monday it is in the midst of a "second wave" of novel coronavirus infections around Seoul, driven by small but persistent outbreaks stemming from a holiday in May. The Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) had previously said South Korea's first wave had never really ended. Israeli mask maker

Sonovia expects 99% coronavirus success after lab test

An Israeli company expects a fabric it has developed will be able to neutralize close to 99% of the coronavirus, even after being washed multiple times, following a successful lab test. Synovia's reusable anti-viral masks are coated in zinc oxide nanoparticles that destroy bacteria, fungi, and viruses, which it says can help stop the spread of the coronavirus.

What you need to know about the coronavirus right now

Here's what you need to know about the coronavirus right now:

South Korea’s second wave 'No-swab' saliva test for coronavirus piloted in Britain

A weekly coronavirus testing regime using a "no-swab" saliva test is being trialed in southern England and could result in a simpler and quicker way to detect outbreaks of the virus, the British government said on Monday. "Saliva testing could potentially make it even easier for people to take coronavirus tests at home, without having to use swabs," said Health Secretary Matt Hancock.

(With inputs from agencies.)