Two international travelers, both asymptomatic, are the first cases of this variant CLINICAL MATTERS On Dec. 15, 2021, the Department of Health reported the first two cases of the Omicron variant among incoming travelers. The first case was a returning 48-year-old overseas Filipino male from...
Are physical gatherings safe now? CLINICAL MATTERS As the number of daily COVID-19 cases continues to drop, many people are looking forward to their Christmas parties. Having missed these last year, there is a pent-up need to see friends and loved ones physically, especially now that many have been...
Men and those in the older age group are more likely to develop severe and critical cases of coronavirus disease (COVID-19), based on the initial results of the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine’s (RITM) study on the clinical characteristics and transmission patterns of COVID-19....
The most mutated variant CLINICAL MATTERS On Nov. 26, 2021, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced the designation of a new COVID-19 Variant of Concern (VOC) named Omicron. This followed the observation that a SARS-COV-2 lineage B.1.1.529 was driving an increase in cases in the Gauteng...
The country’s virgin coconut oil (VCO) clinical trial may soon be conducted in Sri Lanka, the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) said Friday, Dec. 3. (MANILA BULLETIN FILE) “The DOST-FNRI (Food and Nutrition Research Institute) is exploring possible conduct of the VCO study in Sri...
The Department of Science and Technology (DOST) has explained why the country’s eight month-long clinical trial seeking to assess the efficacy, safety, and effect on viral clearance of anti-parasitic drug Ivermectin in asymptomatic and mild coronavirus disease (COVID-19) patients confined in...
A firsthand experience CLINICAL MATTERS Got the booster! My primary vaccine series was Sinovac, and I was given a Pfizer booster. I was the second person to get vaccinated with Sinovac in the Philippines, right after PGH director Gerardo Legaspi. Since I got my first dose last March 1, 2021 and my...
The Department of Science and Technology (DOST) said Friday, Nov. 26, that initial results of the clinical study on tawa-tawa (Euphorbia hirta) as adjunctive treatment for coronavirus disease showed that tawa-tawa capsules are safe for patients who are experiencing mild COVID-19 symptoms. Tawa-tawa...
Results of the virgin coconut oil (VCO) trial at Philippine General Hospital (PGH) showed that hospitalized coronavirus disease (COVID-19) patients did not significantly benefit from VCO as an adjunct therapy. (MANILA BULLETIN FILE) The results of the VCO clinical trial at the PGH were presented by...
Which brand should you get? CLINICAL MATTERS With the FDA giving the greenlight for the use of boosters among healthcare workers this November, the first legal boosters have already gone into some of the A1 group’s arms, including mine. At the time of this writing, only healthcare workers have...
Ensuring Delta remains under control CLINICAL MATTERS With few exceptions, the biggest one being China, most of the world has pretty much moved on from a COVID-19 elimination strategy. Zero COVID-19, which was the goal early in the pandemic, became a near-impossibility with the rise of the...
The Department of Science and Technology (DOST) said the “latest protocol" for the country’s eight month-long clinical trials seeking to assess the efficacy, safety, and effect on viral clearance of anti-parasitic drug Ivermectin in asymptomatic and mild coronavirus disease (COVID-19) patients...
