14 hospitals, 31 more patients join WHO trial for COVID-19 treatment

MANILA, Philippines — Fourteen more hospitals and 31 more patients afflicted with the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in the country have joined the World Health Organization’s Solidarity Trial, which will attempt to find a possible cure for the respiratory illness.

This brings the total of participating hospitals in the country to 24, while patients who will join the mass trial are currently at 81, Department of Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said on Thursday.

“Solidarity trial: 24 hospitals and 81 patients currently enrolled,” she told reporters in a text message.

At least 100 countries have joined the trial and the Philippines was approved to participate in the activity by the Single Joint Research Ethics Board last April 17.

The study will test the effectiveness of possible treatments for COVID-19.

WHO and participating countries will compare the effectiveness of several drugs used in COVID-19 treatment in different countries.

Four different drugs or combinations will be tested, including remdesivir, lopinavir-ritonavir, lopinavir-ritonavir plus interferon beta, and chloroquine.

To date, there are 11,618 confirmed COVID-19 cases in the country. Of the number, 2,251 have recovered while 772 succumbed to the disease.

Meanwhile, globally, 4.3 million individuals worldwide have so far been infected with the novel coronavirus or SARS-CoV-2, killing off over 297,000 while more than 1.5 million people were able to recover.

EDV