As the COVID-19 pandemic shut down the planet, medical experts and scientists around the world

have found themselves in an unprecedented race to find a treatment for the disease.

Adequately powered randomized clinical trials are currently enrolling and are needed to establish
the efficacy of these proposed therapies. One is the World Health Organization (WHO) SOLIDARITY Trial,
which aims to test the safety and effectiveness of the four possible therapies in treating COVID-19
compared to standard of care. The Department of Health announced the participation of the Philippines
in this last April 22.

In the meantime, medical experts have been using off-label drugs to treat severe and critical cases
of COVID-19. Off-label drugs are medicine developed to treat other illnesses but are believed or have
shown some evidence of effectivity against the novel coronavirus. Some of these drugs have been
included in the WHO’s Solidarity Trial, a multi-country clinical trial in search for a COVID-19 cure. The
Philippines is among the more than 200 countries participating.

For now, when it comes to the management of COVID-19 patients, the standard of care in the
country is delivering best supportive care while the body battles the virus: treatment of symptoms,
hydration, antibiotics for bacterial pneumonia, oseltamivir for influenza, and for patients with severe or
critical cases, intensive respiratory management and intensive care support.

https://www.cnnphilippines.com/news/2020/4/23/who-solidarity-trial-in-philippines.html/

Youtube links:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aw59h2FNMIQ

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ks74TLQjHWw

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y2oOMN6k4IM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MTP5P7Vwl5A

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NchkEnsKmvM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iOE6rAY8l-k