Health News Roundup: US to charge Teva in generic drugs; Could US regulators authorize a COVID vaccine? and more

More U.S. colleges see spike in COVID-19 cases after classes resume More U.S. colleges were grappling with high numbers of students testing positive for the coronavirus just days into the start of the fall semester after some universities rolled back their campus reopening plans in recent weeks.

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

U.S. to charge Teva in generic drugs price-fixing probe: source

The U.S. Justice Department is preparing to charge Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd with conspiring with competitors to raise prices for generic drugs, according to a person familiar with the matter. The decision follows Teva's refusal to agree to a settlement that would have required paying a criminal penalty and admitting wrongdoing, the person https://bit.ly/32qtltO said.

Explainer: Could U.S. regulators authorize a COVID-19 vaccine before the election?

U.S. President Donald Trump has said a vaccine for the novel coronavirus could be available before the Nov. 3 presidential election, sooner than most experts anticipate. A COVID-19 vaccine as early as October could become a reality if drugmakers deliver on optimistic timelines for completing large, late-stage clinical trials and regulators allow for its use prior to a full review and approval.

Coronavirus re-infections raise concerns about immunity

Two European patients are confirmed to have been re-infected with COVID-19, raising concerns about people's immunity to the coronavirus as the world struggles to tame the pandemic. The cases, in Belgium and the Netherlands, follow a report this week by researchers in Hong Kong about a man there who had contracted a different strain of the virus four and a half months after being declared recovered - the first such second infection to be documented.

Colombia could participate in more vaccine trials, health minister says

Colombia is in discussions to join other phase three clinical trials for a vaccine, the health minister said on Tuesday, and will not reverse an end to its national quarantine. The government said on Monday that Colombia, which has nearly 552,000 confirmed coronavirus cases and is finishing more than five months of lockdown at the end of August, would participate in trials with Johnson & Johnson.

Wild polio sufferers reflect as Africa declared free of the disease

Nigerian Gbemisola Ijigbamigbe's right leg was virtually paralysed after she contracted wild polio aged 11 months. Now the 28-year-old leads an active life as a wheelchair basketball player and also enjoys swimming and kayaking. "Polio is not a death sentence," she told Reuters, smiling.

Translate Bio, Sanofi COVID-19 vaccine candidate produces immune response in animal studies

Translate Bio Inc said on Tuesday that an experimental coronavirus vaccine developed with French drugmaker Sanofi SA induced immune response in non-human studies, with trials in humans expected to start in November. In a regulatory filing (https://www.sec.gov/ix?doc=/Archives/edgar/data/1693415/000119312520229383/d904716d8k.htm), the company cited Sanofi's presentation slides showing that three doses of the vaccine candidate induced neutralizing antibodies and T-cell responses in animal studies.

More U.S. colleges see spike in COVID-19 cases after classes resume

More U.S. colleges were grappling with high numbers of students testing positive for the coronavirus just days into the start of the fall semester after some universities rolled back their campus reopening plans in recent weeks. The University of Alabama on Monday reported more than 550 people across its campuses had tested positive for COVID-19 since it resumed in-person classes on August 19. Most of those infected were students, faculty and staff at the university's main campus in Tuscaloosa. What you need to know about the coronavirus right now

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

Patients reinfected CMS spells out new COVID-19 testing mandate for nursing homes

Nursing homes in the United States will now be required to test staff for COVID-19 and offer testing to residents, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) said on Tuesday. In July, the Trump administration released an additional $5 billion from the Provider Relief Fund to help nursing homes address critical needs, including hiring additional staff and increasing testing. (https://go.cms.gov/32oGfbI)

Young people fueling recent spike of coronavirus in Americas, U.N. agency says

Young people are driving the spread of the coronavirus in the Americas, the head of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) said on Tuesday, noting that both deaths and caseloads have doubled in the region over the past six weeks. Briefing reporters on a webcast, Dr. Carissa Etienne chastised governments that have rushed economic re-openings despite data that shows a worsening pandemic.