Health News Roundup: U.S. flu hospitalizations highest in 10 years, officials say; U.S. flu hospitalizations highest in 10 years, officials say, and more

The following describes the new coronavirus subvariants and how they may impact people. China reports 3,837 new cases for Nov 4 vs 4,045 a day earlier China reported 3,837 new COVID-19 infections on Nov. 4, of which 657 were symptomatic and 3,180 were asymptomatic, the National Health Commission said on Saturday.

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

U.S. flu hospitalizations highest in 10 years, officials say

An early fall spike in influenza cases has pushed U.S. hospitalization rates for the illness to the highest in a decade for this time of year, U.S. health officials said on Friday, noting that vaccination rates are down. The rising flu cases come alongside pressure on hospitals from respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and COVID cases, officials said, urging people to get vaccinated and offering to assist states that may need additional support.

No indication of risk due to COVID-19 booster shot bubbles -Swissmedic

Swiss drugs regulator Swissmedic said on Friday that an analysis of bubbles that formed in vials of BioNTech-Pfizer's COVID-19 booster shot revealed no indication of risk. Swissmedic said the batch in question can still be used for vaccinations and there is no risk to anyone who may U.S. flu hospitalizations highest in 10 years, officials say

Boehringer Ingelheim and Eli Lilly said their diabetes drug Jardiance was shown to slow the progression of chronic kidney disease (CKD), as they seek to catch up with market segment leader AstraZeneca. In a statement on Friday, the two partners said Jardiance cut the risk of kidney disease progression and cardiovascular death by 28%, citing results from a late-stage trial that included people with and without diabetes.

German expats in China will have access to BioNTech vaccine, says Scholz

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz announced an agreement on Friday to let expatriates in China use the COVID-19 vaccine from Germany's BioNTech and pressed for Beijing to allow the shot to be made freely available to Chinese citizens. On his first visit to China since becoming chancellor and the first by a G7 leader since the pandemic, Scholz said China and Germany had different approaches to fighting the virus but had a joint responsibility to eliminate it.

Pfizer/BioNTech Omicron shot shows strong response after a month

U.S. drugmaker Pfizer Inc and German partner BioNTech SE said on Friday their Omicron-tailored shot targeting the BA.4/5 subvariants produced a strong antibody response in older adults than the original shot after one month. In October, the companies had released data which showed the vaccine produced higher virus-neutralizing antibodies in humans after a week, but did not disclose the levels of antibodies produced in the study.

U.S. Supreme Court to hear Amgen bid to revive cholesterol drug patents

The U.S. Supreme Court on Friday agreed to hear Amgen Inc's bid to revive patents on its cholesterol drug Repatha that were invalidated due to a legal challenge by rivals Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc and Sanofi SA. The justices took up Amgen's appeal of the lower court ruling that threw out the Repatha patents. Amgen and other drugmakers have called the case a test of their ability to earn and defend patents for important drugs.

Factbox-What are the new BQ.1 and BQ.1.1 coronavirus variants, and why it matters

New offshoots of the dominant BA.5 subvariant of Omicron known as BQ.1 and BQ.1.1 are gaining ground in the United States as the SARS-Cov-2 virus that triggered the COVID-19 pandemic continues to evolve. The following describes the new coronavirus subvariants and how they may impact people.

China reports 3,837 new cases for Nov 4 vs 4,045 a day earlier

China reported 3,837 new COVID-19 infections on Nov. 4, of which 657 were symptomatic and 3,180 were asymptomatic, the National Health Commission said on Saturday. That compared with six-month-high 4,045 new COVID-19 infections reported the day before, of which 757 were symptomatic and 3,288 were asymptomatic infections, which China counts separately.

New Mexico town delays banning abortion

The city commission of Clovis on Thursday put off a vote on an ordinance designed to ban abortions within the New Mexico town near the Texas border, fearing challenges to the move in a state where the procedure remains legal. Clovis was set to become the first town to pass a so-called "sanctuary city for the unborn" ordinance in a state controlled by the Democratic Party, according to anti-abortion advocates, who say it is part of a national push into "blue" states.

China to make 'substantial' COVID policy changes soon - ex-govt expert

China will make substantial changes to its "dynamic-zero" COVID-19 policy in the coming months, a former Chinese disease control official told a conference hosted by Citi on Friday, according to a recording of the session heard by Reuters. Separately, three sources familiar with the matter said China may soon further shorten quarantine requirements for inbound travelers.

(With inputs from agencies.)