AN initial 500 patients from the Philippines are participating in the “Solidarity Trial” of the World Health Organization, which is aimed at finding a cure for the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), the Department of Health said on Thursday.
The announcement was made as the number of COVID-19 cases in the country is nearing the 7,000 mark.
Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire, in a virtual press conference, said the DOH has enlisted 500 patients from 20 local hospitals to test the efficacy of four potential treatment for COVID-19.
The 20 are the Philippine General Hospital, The Medical City, San Lazaro Hospital, Lung Center of the Philippines, Research Institute for Tropical Medicine, Baguio General Hospital, East Avenue Medical Center, Makati Medical Center, St. Luke’s Medical Center-BGC, St. Luke’s Medical Center-Quezon City, and University of the East Ramon Magsaysay Medical Center, Cardinal Santos Medical Center, Manila Doctors Hospital, Manila Medical Center, Chinese General Hospital, San Juan de Dios Medical Center, Diliman Doctors Hospital, University of Santo Tomas Hospital, Vicente Sotto Medical Center, Southern Philippines Medical Center, and World Citi Medical Center.
The Solidarity Trial is an international clinical trial to test the safety and effectiveness of four possible treatments, namely the investigational antiviral drug, remdesivir; the antimalarial drug, chloroquine or hydroxychloroquine; anti-retroviral drugs used to treat HIV, lopinavir with ritonavir; and lopinavir with ritonavir plus Interferon beta-1a.
More than 100 countries have agreed to join the international endeavour to evaluate the safety and efficacy of four drugs and drug combinations.
Vergeire said the DOH has sent to the WHO the “list of hospitals, number of patients, number of drug requirements we will be needing in this trial.” In response, she said, the WHO committed to ship the logistical requirements to the Philippines soon.
“But we are actually planning to already begin with the trials ahead of the arrival of the WHO supply. We will just use, in the meantime, those from our stockpile,” said Vergeire.
NEW CASES
The DOH reported 271 new COVID-19 cases on Thursday.
As of 4 pm, the DOH said the Philippines already has a total of 6,981 COVID-19 cases.
Among the COVID-19 cases, 16 new fatalities were recorded. This brings to 462 the total number of COVID-19 deaths in the country.
There were 29 new recoveries, bringing the total to 722.
The virus, which first emerged in China’s Wuhan City late last year, has spread to 213 countries and territories, infecting some 2.5 million persons and killing almost 170,000, according to the World Health Organization.
In the Southeast Asian region, the Philippines remains at second place among countries with COVID-19 cases. Now at first place is Singapore while Malaysia is at third spot.
PINOYS OVERSEAS
The Department of Foreign Affairs said three more Filipinos abroad succumbed to COVID 19, bringing the number of fatalities to 162 while the number of those who were infected in 42 countries climbed to 1,122.
Of the 1,122 Filipinos infected, 653 remain in hospitals while 307 have recovered.
“Based on the latest figures, the rate of new recoveries at 4.07 percent remains higher than the rate of new deaths at 1.89 percent,” the DFA said.
The Americas is still the most deadly place for Filipinos infected with COVID-19 with 90 deaths followed by Europe with 57 while the Middle East and Africa have 13, and Asia and the Pacific region with two.
Europe has the most cases among Filipinos abroad with 374 with 279 still recuperating while 38 have recovered, followed by Asia and the Pacific with 302 cases. The Americas has 281 cases, and 165 cases in the Middle East and African regions.
FIRST NBP CASE
The Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) reported the first confirmed COVID-19 case, who is an inmate at the New Bilibid Prison in Muntinlupa City, who was first brought to the NBP Hospital on April 17.
The inmate is still confined at the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine in Alabang, said BuCor chief Gerald Bantag.
He said 40 inmates, or persons deprived of liberty (PDLs) were moved to “isolated areas” on April 18 and medical staff members who attended to the inmate “are now under quarantine.”
The 40 PDLs were subsequently transferred to “Site Harry” which was earlier designated as the isolation area for COVID-positive inmates.
Site Harry is a walled compound with 12-meter-high perimeter wall and is situated away from residential areas and prison cells. It is prepared to attend to patients with the assistance of the International Committee of the Red Cross.
The site also houses 18 inmates from the Correctional Institute for Women in Mandaluyong City, who also tested positive for COVID-19. — With Ashzel Hachero
