Philippines to join WHO, other countries' bid to find cure for COVID-19

The Philippines will participate in the solidarity trial being conducted by the World Health Organization with other countries to find a cure for COVID-19, Health Secretary Francisco Duque said on Thursday.

The Philippines will be represented by Dr. Marissa Alejandria of the Philippine Society for Microbiology and Infectious Diseases while Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire will be the DOH’s official liaison to the WHO.

“Ito (solidarity trial) po ay isang malawakang pag-aaral kasama ang iba’t ibang bansa para makahanap ng lunas para sa COVID-19,” Duque explained at a virtual press briefing.

The study, launched by the WHO mid-March, will compare the safety and effectiveness of four different drugs against COVID-19.

The WHO announced last March 27 that over 45 countries have joined the trial and underscored that more participants will fast-track results.

The first patients to be enrolled in the trial were from Norway and Spain.

The new coronavirus has so far claimed over 40,500 lives and infected over 823,000 worldwide.

Death toll passes 100

The Philippines’ death toll from the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) continued to climb on Thursday to 107 after the Department of Health (DOH) reported 11 more fatalities as Luzon marked its third week on lockdown.

Duque confirmed 322 more cases, bringing the total number of infections nationwide to 2,633.

Meanwhile, the number of people who have recovered from the respiratory illness likewise rose to 51 one more patient was discharged from hospital.

The DOH earlier explained that the country’s increased testing capacity fueled the surge of COVID-19 cases that started in March after several sub-national laboratories became operational. -NB, GMA News