By Genalyn Kabiling
Is a coronavirus vaccine finally within reach?
President Rodrigo Roa Duterte (ALBERT ALCAIN/PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO)
Addressing the nation Monday night, President Rodrigo Duterte announced that many countries have already “perfected” the potential vaccine for the new coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).
The President shared the "good news” about the potential coronavirus vaccine, even though some were supposedly done haphazardly.
"COVID is fighting us and we are fighting back,” Duterte said in his remarks during a meeting with some Cabinet members on the coronavirus response.
"We believe, and I believe too, that many countries has now perfected some vaccine. Maybe some are haphazard kasi madalian (because they were done in a hurry). The quest for vaccine takes time, years. Dito nagmamadalian (They did it in a hurry) at least we have a medicine that would fight COVID," he said.
Duterte said he was "happy" to learn about about the advances in vaccine research and development. He said medicines are being studied that "can kill over time the virus in your body."
As cases of COVID-19 continue to increase across the world, the Philippines has agreed to participate in the World Health Organization's "Solidarity Trials" for the potential coronavirus vaccine.
Duterte, in his latest weekly report to Congress, said there are 288 patients enrolled in the WHO-led vaccine trials, more than half of the targeted 500 patients in the country. The global target of patients for the vaccine trials is around 5,000.
"The distribution of subjects per treatment regime is as follows: local standard care -- 88, hydroxychloroquine -- 66, lopinavir-ritonavir -- 75, and remdesivir -- 59," Duterte said.
Last week, the President announced plans to purchase the "miracle pill” for the new coronavirus disease and supervise its distribution to the people once it becomes available in the market.
Duterte explained that he intends to oversee the distribution so "everybody gets a fair share of the medicine and the medical care."
President Rodrigo Roa Duterte (ALBERT ALCAIN/PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO)
Addressing the nation Monday night, President Rodrigo Duterte announced that many countries have already “perfected” the potential vaccine for the new coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).
The President shared the "good news” about the potential coronavirus vaccine, even though some were supposedly done haphazardly.
"COVID is fighting us and we are fighting back,” Duterte said in his remarks during a meeting with some Cabinet members on the coronavirus response.
"We believe, and I believe too, that many countries has now perfected some vaccine. Maybe some are haphazard kasi madalian (because they were done in a hurry). The quest for vaccine takes time, years. Dito nagmamadalian (They did it in a hurry) at least we have a medicine that would fight COVID," he said.
Duterte said he was "happy" to learn about about the advances in vaccine research and development. He said medicines are being studied that "can kill over time the virus in your body."
As cases of COVID-19 continue to increase across the world, the Philippines has agreed to participate in the World Health Organization's "Solidarity Trials" for the potential coronavirus vaccine.
Duterte, in his latest weekly report to Congress, said there are 288 patients enrolled in the WHO-led vaccine trials, more than half of the targeted 500 patients in the country. The global target of patients for the vaccine trials is around 5,000.
"The distribution of subjects per treatment regime is as follows: local standard care -- 88, hydroxychloroquine -- 66, lopinavir-ritonavir -- 75, and remdesivir -- 59," Duterte said.
Last week, the President announced plans to purchase the "miracle pill” for the new coronavirus disease and supervise its distribution to the people once it becomes available in the market.
Duterte explained that he intends to oversee the distribution so "everybody gets a fair share of the medicine and the medical care."