Coronavirus updates: FDA OKs remdesivir as 1st approved treatment in US
Remdesivir had already received emergency use authorization.
A pandemic of the novel coronavirus has now killed more than 1.1 million people worldwide.
Over 41.5 million people across the globe have been diagnosed with COVID-19, the disease caused by the new respiratory virus, according to data compiled by the Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins University. The criteria for diagnosis -- through clinical means or a lab test -- has varied from country to country. Still, the actual numbers are believed to be much higher due to testing shortages, many unreported cases and suspicions that some national governments are hiding or downplaying the scope of their outbreaks.
Since the first cases were detected in China in December, the virus has rapidly spread to every continent except Antarctica.
The United States is the worst-affected country, with more than 8.4 million diagnosed cases and at least 223,000 deaths.
California has the most cases of any U.S. state, with more than 893,000 people diagnosed, according to Johns Hopkins data. California is followed by Texas and Florida, with over 871,000 cases and over 768,000 cases, respectively.
Nearly 200 vaccine candidates for COVID-19 are being tracked by the World Health Organization, at least 10 of which are in crucial phase three studies. Of those 10 potential vaccines in late-stage trials, there are currently five that will be available in the United States if approved.
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Walgreens testing now available to kids ages 3 and up
Walgreens said Thursday that it's expanding its COVID-19 testing sites to now be available for children ages 3 and up. Testing was previously available to people ages 18 and over.
Walgreens said it has about 620 COVID-19 testing sites in the U.S. and Puerto Rico, with another 80 sites expected to open this week.
"Walgreens pharmacy team will provide instruction to the parent on how to administer the COVID-19 test to a child," Walgreens said in a statement. "Adolescents may self-administer the COVID-19 test if desired."
Test results will usually be available within 24 to 72 hours, Walgreens said.
ABC News' Eric Strauss contributed to this report.
Utah hospitals 'overwhelmed,' governor says
In Utah, hospitals are "overwhelmed" and Gov. Gary Herbert is warning that "the stress they are experiencing is unsustainable."
Caregivers are “tired” and “emotionally spent,” a state official said at a Thursday news conference.
"This is why we have required masks in high and moderate transmission areas and also asked residents in these areas to limit gatherings to 10 or fewer," Herbert tweeted Thursday.
"Many Utahns have been taking this virus seriously and are abiding by precautionary measures. But some who haven’t seen the full range of ill effects coronavirus can have are unaware of the issues it causes within our medical and business communities,” he said.
Utah has over 99,500 cases and at least 563 deaths.
Fauci suggests kids trick-or-treat by saying hello to neighbors
Dr. Anthony Fauci is suggesting a new twist on trick-or-treating during the pandemic.
Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, recommends kids in costume go to a neighbors home, knock on the door and stay six or more feet away.
"Wear a mask, say hello," Fauci said in a livestream interview last week with Chrisi Grimm, the principal deputy inspector general for Health and Human Services.
But when it comes to the question of accepting candy, Fauci may disappoint the kids of America.
"The question of taking things like candy and stuff. You know, to me, it would be just. ‘Hello, I'm giving you a virtual trick-or-treat,' as opposed to getting involved in people that you don't know,” he said.
ABC News' Anne Flaherty and Sarah Kolinovsky contributed to this report.
Biden tests negative for 13th time since last debate
Former Vice President Joe Biden, the Democratic nominee for the upcoming presidential election, has tested negative for COVID-19 ahead of Thursday's final debate in Nashville, according to his campaign.
"Vice President Biden underwent PCR testing for COVID-19 today and COVID-19 was not detected," the campaign said.
Biden has tested negative for the disease 13 times since his campaign began releasing the results of every test, following the last presidential debate in Cleveland on Sept. 29.
President Donald Trump tested positive for COVID-19 earlier this month, two days after debating Biden in Cleveland.
ABC News' Molly Nagle contributed to this report.
New cases up by double digits across US, HHS memo says
The number of new cases of COVID-19 recorded in the United States increased by double digits in week-over-week comparisons, while deaths and intensive care unit admissions are also on the rise, according to an internal memo from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services that was obtained by ABC News on Wednesday night.
The memo, which is circulated among the highest levels of the federal government and is used to determine daily priorities for the agencies working on a COVID-19 response, said 41 U.S. states and territories are in an upward trajectory of new infections, while six jurisdictions are at a plateau and seven others are in a downward trend.
There were 414,004 new cases confirmed during the period of Oct. 14-20, a 15.1% increase from the previous week. There were also 5,168 fatalities from COVID-19 recorded during the same period, a 4.2% increase compared with the week prior, according to the memo.
The national positivity rate for COVID-19 tests dropped slightly from 6% to 5.8% in week-to-week comparisons. Meanwhile, 23% of hospitals nationwide have more than 80% of their ICU beds full. That figure was 17%-18% during the summertime peak, the memo said.
In Illinois, the number of new cases increased 41.1% on Oct. 18 compared to the prior week, over twice the national growth in infections -- 14.8% -- during the same period. Meanwhile, COVID-19 hospitalizations continued to climb, with the state reporting a seven-day average of 17.3 hospitalizations per 100,000 people on Oct. 18. The state is also experiencing a shortage of health care professionals, particularly nurses, according to the memo.
Indiana saw a 22.4% increase in new cases and an 8% uptick in new deaths between the weeks ending Oct. 11-18. The state reported a record high of 2,521 new cases on Oct 17, one day after surpassing a daily tally of 2,000 new cases for the first time. The state also reported its highest seven-day average of COVID-19 hospitalizations -- 20.1 per 100,000 people on Oct. 18. During that time, an average of 63% of inpatient beds and 66.4% of ICU beds were full. Indiana has reissued a call for retired health care professionals to volunteer as hospitals across the state face staffing issues, the memo said.
Michigan's Washtenaw County saw a relative increase of 110.9% in new cases between Oct. 11-18. The surge may be driven by the University of Michigan, where the school's quarantine and isolation housing was at 52.8% occupancy as of Oct. 20, according to the memo.
Minnesota reported a record high of 126 new COVID-19 hospitalizations on Oct. 20. The number of new cases increased 24.9% across the state in the week ending Oct. 19, while new deaths climbed by 53.5%, the memo said.
North Dakota reported 587 new cases per 100,000 people in the last week, the highest rate in the country, compared to a national average of 117 per 100,000 people, according to the memo.
Ohio registered 2,234 new cases on Oct. 17, its highest number since the coronavirus pandemic and marking the fourth straight day the state's daily tally was over 2,000. Ohio also reported a record high of 1,145 COVID-19 hospitalizations on Oct. 19. The state's seven-day average of hospitalizations has continued to climb over the past three months, reaching a rate of 13.2 per 100,000 population on Oct. 18, the memo said.
ABC News' Josh Margolin contributed to this report.