Coronavirus Watch: Drug to treat severe COVID-19 fails in clinical trial

One of the most promising approaches to treating COVID-19 has failed in a large clinical trial.

The drug tocilizumab (sold under the brand name Actemra) had been expected to be effective against severe infections of the virus that causes COVID-19 because it tamps down the immune overreaction that often takes place in those patients. 

The results are not yet published, but drug manufacturer Genentech said Wednesday that its large phase 3 trial did not improve results for patients hospitalized with severe COVID-19 or reduce deaths. Researchers found some indication that the drug might reduce the time those patients spend in the hospital, but the difference wasn't statistically significant.

It's Wednesday, and this is the Coronavirus Watch from the Paste BN Network. Here is the most significant news of the day, as of 2:30 p.m. ET:

• Fatalities climb: Florida reported its largest one-day death total yet, and California, Florida and Texas were among nine states recording a record number of deaths over a seven-day period that ended Tuesday, a Paste BN analysis of Johns Hopkins data shows. Nine states also set records for newly confirmed cases. Arkansas had the dubious distinction of being on both lists.
• As the virus silently spreads to workplaces to homes to communities, Latinos are bearing the the brunt. In 20 of 27 states that reported positive coronavirus cases by ethnicity, growth among Latinos has outpaced overall growth since Memorial Day, according to a Paste BN analysis.
• Attorney General Bill Barr is being tested for the coronavirus after coming into contact with Rep. Louie Gohmert, R-Texas, who tested positive, the Justice Department announced. Gohmert previously refused to wear a mask while speaking on the House floor. He said he has worn a mask more "in the last week or two" and suggested he may have contracted the virus by moving it around on his face. 
• Fake news: Twitter continued a crackdown on tweets about fake cures that has already ensnared the president. This time, Madonna got called out.
• Call it coronavirus déjà vu. After planning ways to reopen campuses this fall, colleges are increasingly changing their minds, dramatically increasing online offerings or canceling in-person classes outright. 

Today's numbers: There are more than 4.3 million confirmed cases in the U.S. and more than 149,000 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University data. Worldwide, cases have surpassed 16.8 million with more than 662,000 deaths. See the numbers in your area here, and check out where cases are rising here.

Now here's some good news: The latest Republican coronavirus stimulus proposal, which includes $3 billion for vaccines for poor countries, is "the most impactful money ever" for halting the global pandemic, Bill Gates told Paste BN.

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– Grace Hauck, Paste BN breaking news reporter, @grace_hauck