Philippines watching developments on Thailand's potential 2019-nCoV cure

In this Feb. 3, 2020 photo, Health Secretary Francisco Duque III holds a press conference on the 2019 Novel Coronavirus Acute Respiratory Disease.
The STAR/Edd Gumban

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines will

be waiting for further research on the effectivity of a cocktail of anti-

virals that supposedly cured a Chinese woman infected with the novel coronavirus (2019-

nCoV) in Thailand.

A 71-year-old patient tested negative for the deadly virus 48 hours after Thai doctors gave her a mixture of medicines used to treat flu and HIV.

Health Secretary Francisco Duque III said the treatment in Thailand lacks

scientific basis and noted that the "drug cocktail"

was only applied to mild novel coronavirus cases.

"We need further advisories because it will be difficult if something bad happens

due to the medicine, it will be our liability, the situation will be more complicated," Duque told radio

dzMM in Filipino.

Duque added that the DOH will

be willing to use the so-called drug cocktail if proven effective.

"It will be better if we wait. If there is proof that the cocktail is

really effective, why will we refrain from using it?" the

Heatlth chief added.

According to Thailand's health ministry, the doctors combined anti-flu drug

 drug oseltamivir with

lopinavir and ritonavir, anti-

virals used to treat HIV to the patient.

Thailand has 19 confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus, the second highest number of cases outside of China, next to Japan with 20.

WATCH: 'Everything is well': Duterte assures nation on novel coronavirus risk

First death outside China

The Philippines confirmed the first recorded death from the virus outside China over the weekend.

The patient was a 44-year-old Chinese man, a companion of the

38-year old woman, who was the first confirmed carrier of the virus in the Philippines.

The man passed away on February 1, days after being admitted for fever, cough and sore throat. According to the DOH, the man was in

stale condition in his last few days before his sickness worsened within 24 hours.

The DOH is monitoring 80 patients suspected of having the virus, 67 of which

are confined and isolated in various hospitals in the country while 10 have

benn discharged but under strict monitoring.

Show comments