COVID-19: What you need to know about the coronavirus pandemic on 3 September

Confirmed cases of COVID-19 have now reached more than 26 million globally, according to the Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center. The number of confirmed coronavirus deaths now stands at more than 863,000.

Confirmed cases in India have passed 3.8 million. Official data shows that 67,376 people have died so far.

1.4 million university applicants in Uzbekistan are taking entrance exams – outdoors. The tests, which take three hours, are being conducted at sports arenas across the country.

German Finance Minister Olaf Scholz has said that prospects for the EU's economic recovery are good. But the worst might not yet be over.

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has asked state public health authorities to prepare to distribute a possible COVID-19 vaccine as early as late October. The distribution will initially focus on high-risk groups.

Schools have reopened in Wuhan for the first time since January, with more than 1.4 million students returning.

The Czech Republic has reported its highest daily rise – 650 new confirmed cases – since the pandemic reached the country in March.

Confirmed cases in Brazil have risen to nearly 4 million, while the official death toll stands at 123,780.

The French government has announced a €100 billion ($118 billion) stimulus plan to counteract the economic impact of the pandemic.

Apple and Google have announced new tools that make it easier for public health bodies to provide COVID-19 exposure notifications.

2. Europe cases almost back to March levels

COVID-19 cases in Europe have returned to levels seen in March, according to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), the European Union's public health body.

This week's data shows across Europe there were 46 cases per 100,000 people. Infections in March began growing to around 40 per 100,000 people at the end of the month, according to ECDC data. They'd reached 70 per 100,000 by the end of April.

The data covers the 27 EU members, plus Britain, Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein. Andrea Ammon, head of the organization, said rates vary from 2 to 176 per 100,000.

Steroids can cut death rates among critically ill COVID-19 patients, according to an analysis of seven international trials.

Treatment with corticosteroid drugs reduces risk of death by 20% according to the study. The steroids improved the survival rates of patients sick enough to be in intensive care.

“This is equivalent to around 68% of (the sickest COVID-19) patients surviving after treatment with corticosteroids, compared to around 60% surviving in the absence of corticosteroids,” the researchers said in a statement.

As a result of the study, the World Health Organization has updated its guidance. However, it cautioned that corticosteroids should only be used to treat the sickest patients.