500 Pinoy patients to join initial COVID-19 drug trial

MANILA, Philippines — About 500 coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients in the country are set to participate in the solidarity clinical trial to find effective drugs against an infection.         

Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said the trial, led by the World Health Organization (WHO), might start today if all the requirements are completed.

“Initially, 500 patients will be participating in the trial that will done in 20 hospitals in the Philippines,” Vergeire said during a virtual press briefing.

The hospitals that will participate in the trial are 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. Lukes Medical Center Global, St. Lukes Medical Center Quezon City, 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 Phil Medical Center and World Citi Medical Center.

Vergeire said the participating patients have already been selected, adding that the Department of Health (DOH) is just waiting for the shipment of the drugs to be used in the trial.         

Although there are indications the Philippines has already flattened the COVID-19 curve, she noted that it would still be too early to declare this because of data limitations.

“With all of these things that we are doing, we are still not at the point that we could analyze and say that we have already flattened the curve,” Vergeire said partly in Filipino.

She also said that the daily tally released by the DOH is not yet real-time. 

Yesterday, it reported 271 new COVID cases, bringing to 6,981 the total number of confirmed infections in the country. The number of recoveries climbed to 722 while the fatalities jumped to 462 with 16 new deaths.

The number of recoveries, DOH said, includes only those who have tested negative from the infection before getting discharged from the hospital or undergoing home quarantine. Those who recovered from the infection but were not tested are not included in the list.

Vergeire said that, based on current data, the case and mortality doubling time – the period during which case rate increases – has significantly slowed down.

“From three days, the doubling time is now five days but this does not mean we have to be complacent,” she pointed out.

The DOH also requested the Muslim community to help in preventing the spread of COVID-19 by observing the Ramadan, which starts today, by praying inside their homes and not going to mosques for congregation. 

So far, it has secured a budget to hire only 857 of the targeted 15,000 health workers needed to help in the COVID response. 

Also at yesterday’s virtual press briefing, PhilHealth vice president for corporate affairs Shirley Domingo said they now have a package for COVID testing and for those who will undergo isolation in a community quarantine facility. 

Domingo added that PhilHealth is also partnering with the Red Cross and local government units to cover the cost of mass testing for COVID.

PhilHealth, she reported, has already released P10 billion for the advance claim of healthcare institutions admitting COVID patients and P10 billion for regular claims.