Health News Roundup: Setback for Shanghai's COVID battle; Beijing focus on mass testing; Law firm files class action against pharma company Natera - statement and more

South Africa's Aspen Pharmacare negotiated a licensing deal in November to package and sell Johnson & Johnson's COVID-19 vaccine and distribute it across Africa. Factbox-Latest on the worldwide spread of the coronavirus China's commercial capital of Shanghai was dealt a blow on Monday as authorities reported 58 new COVID-19 cases outside quarantine areas while Beijing pressed on with testing millions of its people on a May Day holiday few were celebrating.

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

Setback for Shanghai's COVID battle; Beijing focus on mass testing

China's commercial capital of Shanghai was dealt a blow on Monday as authorities reported 58 new COVID-19 cases outside quarantine areas while Beijing pressed on with testing millions of its people on a May Day holiday few were celebrating. Tough coronavirus measures in Shanghai have stirred rare public anger, with millions of the city's 25 million people confined indoors for more than a month, some sealed inside fenced-off residential compounds, and many struggling to secure daily necessities.

Law firm files class action against pharma company Natera - statement

Law firm Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check LLP on Sunday said it had filed a securities class action lawsuit against pharmaceutical company Natera Inc on behalf of shareholders, according to a statement. The law firm said the main justification for the lawsuit filed in the U.S. district court of the Western District of Texas was that Natera, which specializes in genetic testing and diagnostics, provided information about the efficacy of its tests that have not been proved accurate.

COVID's new Omicron sub-lineages can dodge immunity from past infection, study says

Two new sublineages of the Omicron coronavirus variant can dodge antibodies from earlier infection well enough to trigger a new wave but are far less able to thrive in the blood of people vaccinated against COVID-19, South African scientists have found. The scientists from multiple institutions were examining Omicron's BA.4 and BA.5 sublineages - which the World Health Organization last month added to its monitoring list. They took blood samples from 39 participants previously infected by Omicron when it first showed up at the end of last year.

Chinese Omicron-specific mRNA COVID vaccine candidate to be trialed in UAE

China's Suzhou Abogen Biosciences Co said its COVID-19 vaccine candidate using the messenger RNA (mRNA) technology and targeting the Omicron variant has obtained clinical trial approval in the United Arab Emirates. With Friday's announcement, Abogen joins Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna in trialing candidates modified specifically against Omicron, a highly transmissible variant with increased resistance to antibodies elicited by existing shots.

China reports 7,822 new COVID cases on May 1, down from the previous day

Mainland China reported 7,822 new COVID-19 cases on May 1, including 865 symptomatic cases and 6,957 asymptomatic infections, the National Health Commission said on Monday. That was down from 8,329 new cases a day earlier, of which 920 were symptomatic and 7,409 were asymptomatic.

Moderna says its vaccine for ages under 6 will be ready for U.S. review in June

Moderna Inc's chief medical officer said on Sunday the company's vaccine for children under 6 years old will be ready for review by a Food and Drug Administration panel when it meets in June. Moderna sought emergency use authorization from the FDA on Thursday.

South Africa's Aspen COVID-19 vaccine plant risks closure after no orders-executive

Africa's first COVID-19 vaccination plant, touted last year as a trailblazer for an under-vaccinated continent frustrated by sluggish Western handouts, risks shutting down after receiving not a single order, a company executive said on Saturday. South Africa's Aspen Pharmacare negotiated a licensing deal in November to package and sell Johnson & Johnson's COVID-19 vaccine and distribute it across Africa.

Factbox-Latest on the worldwide spread of the coronavirus

China's commercial capital of Shanghai was dealt a blow on Monday as authorities reported 58 new COVID-19 cases outside quarantine areas while Beijing pressed on with testing millions of its people on a May Day holiday few were celebrating. DEATHS AND INFECTIONS