Lilly, J&J Pause Trials; Texas Cases Top 800,000: Virus Update
Track the latest developments in the global Covid-19 pandemic, here.
(Bloomberg) -- Eli Lilly & Co. put its government-sponsored antibody test on hold due to potential safety concerns, hours after Johnson & Johnson paused its Covid-19 vaccine trial because of a participant’s unexplained illness.
Countries across Europe widened curbs to try to regain a grip on the pandemic. Infections rose at the fastest pace since April in Germany, the Dutch prime minster ordered a partial lockdown and France reported a surge in patients needing intensive care. New cases in Italy jumped to the highest since March.
A new 10-minute Covid-19 test that doesn’t need added equipment to process has been cleared by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. One of China’s leading vaccine developers is working on a plan to inoculate students going overseas with shots that are still being tested.
Soccer superstar Cristiano Ronaldo tested positive and is in isolation.
Key Developments:
- Global Tracker: cases pass 37.9 million; deaths 1.08 million
- U.S. Hot Spots: Midwestern states surge toward top of cases
- Covid, Brexit and job cuts converge on a defiant English town
- Even Japan’s vending machines feel pressure from the pandemic
- BlackRock CEO says ‘fear of the future’ reshapes investing
- Macron turns to former taxi driver to save French shopkeepers
Subscribe to a daily update on the virus from Bloomberg’s Prognosis team here. Click CVID on the terminal for global data on coronavirus cases and deaths.
Texas Hospitalizations Jump (5:26 p.m. NY)
Texas hospitals registered a 4.7% jump in new virus patients in the past 24 hours that pushed the census close to a six-week high. The tally rose to 4,053, the highest since Sept. 3, according to state health department data.
Texas also recorded more than 5,000 new infections for the first time since the end of September. The cumulative caseload surpassed 800,000, the data showed.
In the El Paso area, virus patients occupy almost 18% of hospital beds, above the 15% threshold state officials are using to determine whether restrictions on economic activity can be eased. The next-worst regions are Laredo and Lubbock, where Covid-19 cases account for about 13% of beds.
University of Florida Football Halts Play (5:05 p.m. NY)
The University of Florida’s football team has suspended activities following five new cases of coronavirus within the program, according to a statement from the athletics director. The university said “circumstances” surrounding the suspension will be re-evaluated Wednesday
The Gators, currently ranked No. 10 by the Associated Press, are scheduled to face Louisiana State University on Saturday.
Eli Lilly Pauses Antibody Trial (2:43 p.m. NY)
Eli Lilly & Co. said enrollment of participants in a clinical trial of its antibody treatment for Covid-19 has been paused due to a potential safety concern.
The independent data safety monitoring board recommended pausing enrollment in the U.S. government-sponsored trial, a company spokeswoman said in an emailed statement. The company didn’t provide any information about what caused the data panel to recommend the pause.
“Lilly is supportive of the decision by the independent DSMB to cautiously ensure the safety of the patients participating in this study,” said spokeswoman Kathryn Beiser.
Shares of Eli Lilly declined as much as 3.3% in afternoon trading on Tuesday in New York.
France ICU Patients Rise Most Since Early April (2:40 p.m. NY)
France reported the number of Covid patients in intensive-care units increased by 94 to 1,642 on Tuesday, the biggest jump since April 6 and reaching the highest level since the final week of May.
New confirmed cases rose by 12,993, climbing from a day earlier. The seven-day rolling average of new infections, which smooths out daily variations, rose for an 11th day to 17,387, the highest it’s been since the start of the outbreak.
Coronavirus deaths in France increased by 117 to 32,942, the biggest increase in 11 days, partially on the inclusion of several days of nursing home data.
Dutch PM Orders Partial Lockdown (2 p.m. NY)
Saying measures needed to stop the virus “will hurt,” Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte announced what he called a partial lockdown on Tuesday evening, with sales of alcohol to be banned after 8 p.m. and bars, restaurants and coffee shops to be closed altogether. Citizens are being urged to avoid public transportation where possible.
“The facts don’t lie, we have to be stricter for ourselves, and stricter on our own behavior,” Rutte said at a televised news conference. Health Minister Hugo de Jonge warned that a total lockdown could be the next step if the new measures don’t work.
Facebook to Block Ads Discouraging Vaccines (12:45 p.m. NY)
Facebook Inc. will reject ads that discourage people from getting vaccines, citing a new policy meant to prevent “harm” to public health efforts.
Facebook already forbids ads that promote vaccine hoaxes or misinformation about vaccines. The company will also put educational material about the flu shot in users’ feeds.
Italy Cases Highest Since March (11:50 a.m. NY)
Italy’s coronavirus cases jumped again on Tuesday to 5,901, the most since March 28, compared with 4,619 the previous day. There were 112,544 tests carried out, and 41 deaths related to Covid-19 were reported, bringing the total to 36,246.
Patients in intensive care units rose by 62 to to 514.
Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte imposed a series of new curbs on nightlife, social events and amateur sports as the pandemic intensifies throughout the country, albeit at a slower pace than in other major European nations.
NYC Issues $150,000 in Fines in Brooklyn, Queens (10:50 a.m. NY)
New York City, which is trying to stamp out stubborn waves of Covid-19 in Queens and Brooklyn neighborhoods, issued $150,000 in fines and 100 summonses over the weekend, Mayor Bill de Blasio said Tuesday.
The city’s crackdown has resulted in widespread anger and protests in Orthodox Jewish communities. Opponents have said they are being singled out and not consulted.
Soccer Star Ronaldo Tests Positive (10:34 a.m. NY)
The Portuguese soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo has been dismissed from national squad work after testing positive for Covid-19.
The player is currently in isolation and showing no symptoms, Portugal’s soccer federation says in a statement Tuesday afternoon. Portugal is due to play against Sweden on Oct. 15 in Lisbon, as part of the Nations League tournament.
The federation said Ronaldo, 35, is “doing well, without symptoms, and in isolation.”
Juventus Football Club SpA, where Ronaldo plays, saw shares fall as much as 6.9% in Milan trading after the news.
Virus Slams Canadian Confidence (9:25 a.m. NY)
Canadian consumer confidence recorded its largest one-week decline in five months as the nation gets hit by a second wave of Covid-19 cases.
The Bloomberg Nanos Canadian Confidence Index, a composite measure of financial health and economic expectations derived from telephone polling, dropped more than half a point to 52.4 for the week ended Oct. 9. That’s the biggest weekly decline since April, bringing the gauge to the lowest since mid-August.
Ireland Lays Out $21 Billion Plan to Counter Virus, Brexit (9:11 a.m. NY)
Ireland’s government unleashed a record package of budget measures to counter the dual threats of Brexit and the pandemic, as new restrictions threaten to derail a nascent economic recovery. Speaking to lawmakers in Dublin on Tuesday, Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe said the entire 2021 budget package is worth close to 18 billion euros ($21.2 billion), with most being earmarked for a fund to deal with the virus and Brexit, more health spending and other measures.
NIH Study Aims to Identify Promising Treatments (9:09 a.m. NY)
The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, part of the National Institutes of Health, launched a study designed to determine whether certain approved therapies or drugs in late-stage clinical development show promise against Covid-19 and merit advancement into larger clinical trials. The ACTIV-5 Big Effect Trial will enroll adult volunteers hospitalized with Covid-19 at as many as 40 U.S sites.
Dutch Weekly Cases Close to 44,000 (8:37 a.m. NY)
The Netherlands added almost 44,000 new Covid-19 patients last week, a new record, as the country awaits stricter government measures. A total of 43,903 cases were confirmed in the week ending Oct. 13, up from 27,485, according to health agency RIVM. Admissions to intensive care units jumped to 192 from 121. In the past 24 hours, a total of 7,393 new cases were reported, a new daily record, news agency ANP reported. Prime Minister Mark Rutte is expected to announce additional measures Tuesday evening.
J&J Trial Pause Overshadows Outlook (8:21 a.m. NY)
The drugmaker was forced to pause its late-stage study of a coronavirus vaccine, overshadowing an improved financial outlook for the year. The temporary halt -- the second time that a front-runner developer has suspended a trial -- could contribute to concern about the rapid pace of coronavirus vaccine research. J&J said adverse events are an expected part of drug studies and that it is investigating.
Chief Financial Officer Joseph Wolk said J&J was notified about the participant at one of its trial sites becoming ill 36 hours ago, and immediately approached the independent Data Safety Monitoring Board to conduct an analysis. It also temporarily paused dosing other participants.
Wolk said the company didn’t know whether the trial participant had been given the vaccine or was given a placebo. “We need to let the independent board do their research,” he said in an interview.
China Looking at Giving Students Vaccines (7:26 a.m. NY)
One of China’s leading vaccine developers is working on a plan to inoculate students going overseas with Covid-19 shots that are yet to get regulatory approval, according to people familiar with the matter, as the country pushes scientific boundaries in the race for a viable immunization.
China National Biotec Group Co., or CNBG, a subsidiary of state-owned Sinopharm Group Co., is in talks with the Chinese government about giving students headed abroad to study its experimental vaccines, said the people, who asked not to be identified as they’re not authorized to speak publicly. Various government agencies are still working on the plan and no final decision has been made, the people said.
Polish PM Morawiecki Goes Into Quarantine (6:53 a.m. NY)
Polish Premier Mateusz Morawiecki has gone into quarantine after coming into contact on Oct. 9 with a person who was confirmed this morning to have the virus, his office said in a statement. Morawiecki doesn’t have Covid-19 symptoms. A spokesman declined to comment about the prime minister’s participation in the EU summit later this week.
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