Health News Roundup: Australia's Victoria sees 'stabilisation' in new coronavirus cases; Germany's confirmed coronavirus cases rise by 1,122 to 215,336 and more

"But the chances of it being 98% effective is not great, which means you must never abandon the public health approach." Vaccine for COVID-19 will need outside expert review, U.S. regulator says The United States will need to have independent experts review COVID-19 vaccine candidates before approval, the country's top drug regulator said on Friday, offering reassurance that his agency would not cut corners in the race to roll out a vaccine.

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

City in China's Inner Mongolia issues warning after bubonic plague patient dies

Authorities in a city in the Chinese region of Inner Mongolia issued a warning after a patient who had bubonic plague died of multiple organ failure, state media reported on Saturday. Cases of plague are not uncommon in China, although outbreaks have become increasingly rare. From 2009 to 2018, China reported 26 cases and 11 deaths.

Trump says he's working on health insurance executive order on pre-existing conditions

President Donald Trump said on Friday he would be working in the next couple of weeks on an executive order to require health insurers to cover pre-existing conditions. "Over the next two weeks I'll be pursuing a major executive order requiring health insurance companies to cover all pre-existing conditions for all customers," Trump said at a news conference at his golf property in Bedminster, New Jersey.

Fauci warns COVID-19 vaccine may be only partially effective, public health measures still needed

An approved coronavirus vaccine could end up being effective only 50-60% of the time, meaning public health measures will still be needed to keep the pandemic under control, Dr. Anthony Fauci, the top U.S. infectious diseases expert, said on Friday. "We don't know yet what the efficacy might be. We don't know if it will be 50% or 60%. I'd like it to be 75% or more," Fauci said in a webinar hosted by Brown University. "But the chances of it being 98% effective is not great, which means you must never abandon the public health approach.

" Vaccine for COVID-19 will need outside expert review, U.S. regulator says

The United States will need to have independent experts review COVID-19 vaccine candidates before approval, the country's top drug regulator said on Friday, offering reassurance that his agency would not cut corners in the race to roll out a vaccine. U.S. Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Stephen Hahn said COVID-19 vaccine candidates will be reviewed according to established legal and regulatory standards for medical products, including by an outside advisory committee.

The U.S. surpasses 160,000 coronavirus deaths as school openings near

U.S. deaths from the coronavirus pandemic exceeded 160,000 on Friday, nearly a quarter of the world’s total, according to a Reuters tally, as the country debates whether schools are ready to reopen their doors in the coming weeks. The country with the most coronavirus cases, the United States recorded 160,003 deaths and 4.91 million cases. Coronavirus deaths are rising in 23 states and cases in 20 states, according to a Reuters analysis of data the past two weeks compared with the prior two weeks.

Germany's confirmed coronavirus cases rise by 1,122 to 215,336: RKI

The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Germany increased by 1,122 to 215,336, data from the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) for infectious diseases showed on Saturday. The reported death toll rose by twelve to 9,195, the tally showed.

Roche-PTC Therapeutics' oral spinal muscular atrophy drug wins FDA approval

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Friday approved an oral treatment from Roche Holding AG and PTC Therapeutics Inc for spinal muscular atrophy in adults and children two months and above. The drug, risdiplam, to be sold as Evrysdi will compete with Biogen's Spinraza and Novartis' gene therapy, Zolgensma.

Australia's Victoria sees 'stabilisation' in new coronavirus cases

Australia's second-most populous state, Victoria, recorded 466 cases of the new coronavirus on Saturday and 12 COVID-19 deaths, though authorities expressed hope for a stabilisation in new infections thanks to strict mobility restrictions. Victoria is at the centre of a second wave of infections in Australia, accounting for more than two-thirds of the national tally of nearly 21,000.

Rare syndrome linked to COVID-19 found in nearly 600 U.S. children: CDC

Nearly 600 children were admitted to U.S. hospitals with a rare inflammatory syndrome associated with the novel coronavirus over four months during the peak of the pandemic, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said in a report on Friday. Multisystem inflammatory syndrome (MIS-C) is a rare but severe condition that shares symptoms with toxic shock and Kawasaki disease, including fever, rashes, swollen glands and, in severe cases, heart inflammation.

COVID-stricken Anchorage wins court ruling in diner dispute

As COVID-19 cases spike and hospital bed space dwindles in Alaska's largest city, Anchorage officials on Friday won a key ruling in favor of a ban on indoor restaurant dining after a standoff over the issue moved to court. Anchorage city officials this week sued to halt indoor dining at Kriner’s Diner, a popular eatery that defied an emergency ordinance issued on July 31 restricting restaurants to outdoor service and take-out due to a surge in coronavirus infections.

(With inputs from agencies.)