Coronavirus updates: 23-year-old college student dies from COVID-19
Jamesha Waddell, a senior at Livingstone College, died Thursday.
A pandemic of the novel coronavirus has now killed more than 1.3 million people worldwide.
Over 58.7 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 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. The criteria for diagnosis -- through clinical means or a lab test -- has also varied from country to country.
The United States is the worst-affected nation, with more than 12.2 million diagnosed cases and at least 256,783 deaths.
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.
Latest headlines:
FDA authorizes drug combination for treatment of COVID-19
The FDA issued an emergency use authorization for a drug combination to treat COVID-19.
The drugs are Eli Lilly's baricitinib and Gilead's remdesivir, the latter of which was given to President Donald Trump as part of his coronavirus treatment.
The authorization is only for hospitalized adults and children 2 years of age or older who need help breathing.
Baricitinib, which is used to treat rheumatoid arthritis, is not authorized as a stand-alone treatment for COVID-19. It must be used in combination with remdesivir.
A Phase 3 study found that when used with remdesivir, the combination helped hospitalized patients recover faster than remdesivir alone, cutting the median time to recovery by about one day.
ABC News' Sony Salzman contributed to this report
California issues nightly curfew for most of state
Most of California will be under a nightly curfew with a new stay-at-home order issued Thursday by Gov. Gavin Newsom, as the state experiences a rapid increase in COVID-19 cases.
Starting Saturday, counties labeled as having widespread risk will be under the order for four weeks. From 10 p.m. to 5 a.m., nonessential activities and gatherings with members outside of the household are banned.
The order currently affects nearly 95% of the state's population.
UNICEF warns of 'lost generation' after pandemic
In a new report ahead of World Children's Day, UNICEF warned the pandemic may create a "lost generation."
Calling the situation "increasingly alarming," UNICEF wrote about the impact on children around the world, including disruptions to health care, nutrition, child protection and education. School closures at their peak have affected 90% of the world's students.
"The impact of the pandemic will affect children’s lives for years to come, even if a breakthrough vaccine becomes available soon," the report said. "How the world responds now to the myriad risks that the pandemic poses to children and adolescents will determine their future. Unless the global community urgently changes priorities, the potential of this generation of young people may well be lost."
UNICEF warned, "Around 2 million additional child deaths under age 5 and 200,000 additional stillbirths could occur over a 12-month period with worst-case interruptions to services and rising malnutrition."
ABC News' Brian Hartman and Kirit Radia contributed to this report.
Louisiana in '3rd surge' as positivity rate climbs
Louisiana, where the positivity rate has climbed to 7.5%, is in the midst of "the third surge of this pandemic," Gov. John Bel Edwards said.
Including 15 deaths on Thursday, the state's death toll has climbed to 6,199.
Hospitalizations in the state jumped to 929, an increase that's "very concerning," the governor added. "It's increasing at a rate we just can't sustain over time."
Edwards also warned residents to avoid traditional Thanksgiving gatherings.
“If you’re planning on a Thanksgiving that looks like previous Thanksgivings, where you bring extended family, friends around a common dinner table, you’re making a mistake," he said.
ABC News' Rachel Katz contributed to this report.
FDA could approve emergency use of Pfizer vaccine in December
Pfizer said it's completed its submission to the Food and Drug Administration in which the company requests emergency use authorization for its vaccine.
The FDA is expected to start digging into the efficacy and safety data immediately, and it could make a decision as early as mid-December.
ABC News' Sony Salzman contributed to this report.