Health News at Your Fingertips

Germany has recorded 2,563 new Covid-19 cases, taking its total to 296,958, according to data from the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) for infectious diseases.,

Germany’s death toll increased by 19 to 9,527.

India has recorded 100,000 confirmed Covid-19 deaths.

The grim milestone puts the country’s death toll at nearly 10% of the global fatalities.

It is now behind only the United States and Brazil.

AP has reported that India’s health ministry confirmed the caseload has increased to more than 6.4 million with 79,476 new infections.

September has been India’s worst month with daily cases and fatalities outstripping those in any other country. Almost 41% of total cases and 34% of COVID-19 deaths were reported in the month alone, with nearly 1,100 Indians dying every day on average from the virus.

What do we know about remdesivir, the experimental drug being given to Donald Trump?

Remdesivir was approved for emergency use by the US Food and Drug Administration in May, after evidence suggested it could help Covid-19 patients recover faster.

The FDA acted on the basis of preliminary results from a government-sponsored study showed that Gilead Sciences’s remdesivir shortened the time to recovery by 31%, or about four days on average, for hospitalised Covid-19 patients.

At the time, Dr Anthony Fauci, the government’s top infectious disease expert, expressed cautious optimism about the results of a remdesivir drug trial.

“The data shows that remdesivir has a clear-cut, significant, positive effect in diminishing the time to recovery,” Fauci said. “What it has proven is that a drug can block this virus.”

The FDA’s emergency authorisation allows for drugs to be rushed onto the market during public health crises, and does not require the usual “substantial” level of evidence.

The emergency use authorization (EUA) warned of possible side-effects, including “increased levels of liver enzymes, which may be a sign of inflammation or damage to cells in the liver; and infusion-related reactions, which may include low blood pressure, nausea, vomiting, sweating and shivering”.

The authorisation warns of possible other serious side-effects that have not been discovered yet.

Health expert Sanjay Gupta has told CNN that the use of experimental antibody therapies and the drug remdesivir shows there must have been a “level of concern” for Donald Trump.

“There must have been a level of conern that was high enough, and as you point out, it was given to the president and not the first lady,” he said.

Developments have been coming thick and fast in the past hour, so let’s recap.

• Donald Trump tweeted an update from Walter Reed Hospital, saying he was “going well, I think”. He had earlier posted a video statement, saying: “I think I’m doing very well but we’re going to make sure things work out.” He is expected to spend several days at Walter Reed.
• Trump’s physician, Sean Conley, revealed the president is being treated with the therapeutic drug remdesivir. The physician said Trump was “doing very well” and did not require supplemental oxygen. We already know that Trump has been given a cocktail of antibodies to treat Covid-19.
• A growing list of Trump allies tested positive to Covid-19. His former counsel, Kellyanne Conway, tested positive, as did his campaign manager, Bill Stepien. We already know that Hope Hicks has tested positive.
• The developments focused further attention on an event at the Rose Garden this week, during which Trump announced Amy Coney Barrett as his supreme court nominee. At least seven figures in attendance tested positive for coronavirus, including the president himself. Health experts have suggested the event may have been a “super spreader”.
• Eric and Lara Trump said they had tested negative for Covid-19.
• Mike Pence and Kamala Harris will maintain a distance of 12 feet at their vice presidential debate on Wednesday, CNN reported, following concerns about the initial distance of seven feet.

Back to the story dominating global headlines, the Covid-19 diagnoses of Trump and his inner circle.

Dana Bash of CNN has tallied the people in the White House debate preparation room who have tested positive for Covid-19.

Over to Australia, momentarily, where police are down at Melbourne’s famous St Kilda beach, enforcing Covid-19 restrictions following “unacceptable” scenes on Friday. A second wave in Melbourne has prompted a long-running, strict lockdown, but crowds of Victorians were seen at the beach on Friday partying. The Victorian premier, Daniel Andrews, slammed the scenes and urged Victorians to continue adhering to restrictions.

My colleague Matilda Bosely is down at the beach today, and reports a strong police presence.

My colleague Lois Beckett has just published a wrap on news that Kellyanne Conway, the president’s former counsellor, has tested positive and has mild symptoms.

Conway’s diagnosis has focused attention on an event at the Rose Garden at the White House, during which Donald Trump announced Amy Coney Barrett as his supreme court nominee. At least seven figures in attendance have now tested positive for Covid-19.

Politico is reporting that Donald Trump’s campaign manager, Bill Stepien, has tested positive for Covid-19.