A huge study of a single-dose COVID-19 vaccine is getting underway as top U.S. health officials seek to assure a skeptical public they can trust any shots the government ultimately approves. President Donald Trump is pushing for a fast decision. But Wednesday, the Food and Drug Administration’s chief pledged to a Senate committee that the decision will be based on science, not politics. Hopes are high that answers about at least one of several candidates could come by year’s end. The one-dose contender from Johnson & Johnson will be tested in 60,000 people in the U.S. and several other countries.

The AP plans the following coverage today of the virus outbreak. For up-to-the minute information, visit AP Newsroom’s coverage hub Find AP Virus Alerts here

SENT/DEVELOPING:

VIRUS OUTBREAK: Johnson & Johnson is beginning a huge final-stage study to try to prove if a single-dose COVID-19 vaccine can protect against the virus. It will be one of the world’s largest coronavirus vaccine studies so far, testing in 60,000 volunteers in the U.S., South Africa, Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Mexico and Peru. SENT; developing from Dr. Anthony Fauci and Dr. Robert Redfield testifying before Senate committee. With VIRUS OUTBREAK-THE LATEST

VIRUS OUTBREAK-MILESTONE POLITICS: The Trump administration has prioritized politics over science at key moments over the past six months, refusing to follow expert advice that might have contained the spread of the novel coronavirus. SENT: 1880 words, photos. A 960-word abridged version also has been sent.

UN-GENERAL ASSEMBLY-TELLING COVID'S STORY: At the 75th annual United Nations General Assembly, world leaders are floating solutions to combating the coronavirus while sometimes criticizing other nations and arguing the U.N. itself needs reform. SENT: 1080 words, photos. With UN-GENERAL ASSEMBLY-PANDEMIC SPEAKERS: For some world leaders, the pandemic brings an opportunity. This year’s virtual U.N. gathering means those who generally wouldn’t appear before the world body will have a chance to address the globe.

VIRUS OUTBREAK-BRITAIN: The British government is defending its strategy for combatting a second wave of COVID-19 cases amid criticism that its new slate of restrictions will not be enough to stop an exponential spread of the coronavirus. SENT: 580 words, photos.

VIRUS OUTBREAK-FRANCE: France’s defense minister has admitted to misleading the nation about virus protections for air force personnel who evacuated French citizens from the hard-hit Chinese city of Wuhan in January. SENT: 480 words, photos.

VIRUS OUTBREAK-SIERRA LEONE-DOCTOR'S MISSION: Dr. Mamadu Baldeh is one of only four physicians managing the COVID-19 unit at Sierra Leone’s Connaught Hospital, and the only one doing so while still overseeing the infectious diseases unit. Despite the loss of colleagues, Baldeh is fighting not only to save his coronavirus patients but also to provide quality care for those afflicted with other infectious diseases as he and other health care workers fight for a better system. SENT: 750 words, photos.

VIRUS OUTBREAK-ASIA: India has reported more than 83,000 new coronavirus cases, showing some decline after reaching a record a week earlier. SENT: 380 words, photos.

TROOPER UNMASKING-TENNESSEE: Records show a former Tennessee state trooper’s insistence that he never yanked the mask off a protester near the state Capitol was refuted by surveillance footage and an eyewitness account from a fellow law enforcement officer. SENT: 920 words, photos.

FINANCIAL MARKETS: U.S. stocks are closing sharply lower as losses accelerated in afternoon trading Wednesday. Technology stocks dragged major indexes down as Wall Street’s tumultuous month continues to churn. SENT: 780 words, photos.

MET OPERA SEASON: The Metropolitan Opera will skip an entire season for the first time in its nearly 140-year history and intends to return from the pandemic layoff next September. SENT: 780 words, photos.

ALSO:

VIRUS OUTBREAK-SPAIN: Authorities in Madrid want to enlist more doctors and get urgent help from Spain’s military and police to fight a second wave of coronavirus infections. SENT: 290 words, photos.

CANADA-TRUDEAU: Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government says it will do “whatever it takes” to support the economy during the coronavirus pandemic. SENT: 290 words, photos.

VIRUS OUTBREAK-BELGIUM: Belgium’s prime minister says mask requirements, some attendance limits and other public health measures will be relaxed as part of a less stringent, long-term coronavirus strategy. SENT: 390 words, photos.

VIRUS OUTBREAK-MISSOURI GOVERNOR'S WIFE: The wife of Republican Missouri Gov. Mike Parson has tested positive for the coronavirus after experiencing mild symptoms. SENT: 310 words, photos.

TIME'S SQUARE-NEW YEAR'S EVE: Organizers say New Year’s Eve in Times Square will incorporate virtual elements and be scaled down and socially distant on site in response to the coronavirus. SENT: 150 words, photos.

VIRUS OUTBREAK-FINLAND-SNIFFING DOGS: Finland has deployed coronavirus-sniffing dogs at the Nordic country’s main international airport in a four-month trial of an alternative testing method that could become a cost-friendly way to identify infected travelers. SENT: 450 words, photos.

VIRUS OUTBREAK-AUSTRIA-SKI RESORT: A consumer protection group says it has filed four civil lawsuits against the Austrian government for failing to contain a coronavirus outbreak at an Alpine ski resort during the early phase of the pandemic. SENT: 520 words, photos.

VIRUS OUTBREAK-ISRAEL: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is pushing for an immediate and strict nationwide lockdown as the country’s raging coronavirus outbreak showed no signs of slowing. SENT: 650 words, photos.

VIRUS OUTBREAK-WORKERS: The U.N. labor agency says the coronavirus pandemic has led to massive drop in income for workers around the world, warning of rising inequality between rich countries that have injected government cash into their economies and poorer countries that can’t. SENT: 280 words.

VIRUS OUTBREAK-GERMANY-TRACING APP: Germany’s coronavirus tracing app has been used to transmit 1.2 million test results from labs to users during the first 100 days. SENT: 250 words.

INTERACTIVES/GRAPHICS:

-US cases county-by-county. Embed code can be found in Coverage Plan. A static graphic also will be available in AP Newsroom.

-State trends (table): Trends in new cases and positivity rates for each U.S. state over the past 14 days.

-Case count (table): Searchable table of confirmed cases, including recoveries and deaths, by country, updated each hour.

-Interactive breakdown of unemployment filings by state with time scale for each (going back as far as 2000)

-Virus Europe Spread (map): An auto updating European map tracking the total confirmed cases, recoveries and deaths from coronavirus.

Additional graphics and interactives include:

- Flattening the Coronavirus Curve (Chart): Chart compares the cumulative cases over time in some of the hardest hit countries by coronavirus.

-Virus Global Spread (table): Table of countries which have confirmed cases of the virus. Table also includes when the virus was initially reported and the number of deaths by country.

-Virus Global Spread (Map): Map of countries which have confirmed cases of the virus. Map also includes when the virus was initially reported and the number of deaths by country.

-Virus US State Map: State by state count of confirmed cases in the U.S.

-Virus US State Table: Table tracks the number of cases, recoveries and deaths for the US including its territories.

-Status of Cases Worldwide: Auto-updating once a day, this chart tracks the levels of active cases and deaths from COVID-19 around the world over time.

PHOTOS:

AP photos have moved from Germany, Spain, Britain, Belgium, Austria, Greece, Israel, India, Indonesia, various US, Latin America locations.

VIDEO:

AP video has moved from Austria, UK Germany, Spain, Vatican City, Japan, Indonesia, various US, Latin American locations.