AZ Vax Trial Still on Hold; Sniffing Out Coronavirus; Europe's 2nd Wave

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AstraZeneca has yet to get FDA approval to resume its coronavirus vaccine trial, halted following a participant’s death in a parallel British study. (Reuters)

As of 8:00 a.m. ET Friday, the estimated U.S. COVID-19 toll included 6,979,937 cases and 202,827 deaths, increases of 44,523 and 907 since the same time Thursday.

Computer models that correctly predicted a U.S. coronavirus death toll of 200,000 now suggest that 350,000 to 400,000 could die of the viral disease by year’s end … but scientists acknowledge that infectious disease modeling can be tricky. (NBC News)

“That’s what college kids do”: Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) suggested a “bill of rights” to protect college students against expulsion for violating social-distancing rules at parties. (Politico)

The city council in Norman, Oklahoma, home to the University of Oklahoma, expanded the definition of “public setting” to include private homes and residences where more than 25 people gather. (Newsweek)

Reversing a course taken just six weeks ago, the PAC-12 athletic conference announced that football season can begin Nov. 6, and the basketball season can start Nov. 25. (NBC News)

Finnish officials have deployed specially trained dogs to sniff out the coronavirus at the Helsinki airport. (CNBC)

Presidents of the National Academy of Science and National Academy of Medicine said they are alarmed by “political interference in science amid the pandemic.”

Operation Warp Speed’s chief said he favors stricter rules for COVID-19 vaccine authorization. (Reuters)

As almost two dozen states reported increases in COVID-19 cases, NIAID Director Anthony Fauci, MD, warned that the U.S. component of the pandemic is still in its first phase and to prepare for a “challenge” in the fall and winter. (CNN)

Meanwhile, countries across Europe battle a second wave, though hospitalization rates remain relatively low. (New York Times)

“I’m not going to trust the federal government’s opinion”: New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) said state officials might delay distribution of coronavirus vaccine if they doubt the vaccine’s safety. (New York Times)

So which COVID vaccine might be included in Britain’s purported challenge trial? Pfizer, AstraZeneca, Moderna, and Sanofi say it won’t be theirs. (Reuters)

In other news:

HHS communications officer Michael Caputo, who took medical leave after a widely publicized social media rant against the CDC, has metastatic head and neck cancer, according to a family spokesperson. (The Hill)
A federal appeals court rejected a lower court judge’s decision that would have allowed 33,000 cities, towns and counties to have a say in any settlement of opioid lawsuits. (Reuters)
Citing misuse arising from a “dangerous ‘Benadryl Challenge,'” the FDA warned against consuming higher-than-recommended doses of the over-the-counter antihistamine, known generically as diphenhydramine.
The agency also upped its cautions on mercury-containing dental amalgams.