Saturday-Friday | March 21- 27, 2020
GLOBAL NEWS
Duterte’s 2nd Covid-19 test lies with Duque’s results: DOH By RUTH ABBEY GITA-CARLOS
MANILA — President Rodrigo Duterte would only be advised to repeat his test for coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19), in the event that Health Secretary Francisco Duque III tests positive for the infectious disease, the Department of Health (DOH) said on Friday. This comes after Duterte had close contact with Duque who is currently under home quarantine after a DOH director tested positive for Covid-19. Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said Duque is still “in good condition” and now awaiting the results of his Covid-19 test. Vergeirre said Duterte need not take another test for Covid-19 for now, unless Duque’s pending test results show that the Health chief is infected with the coronavirus disease. “Kapag lumabas po ang resulta ni Secretary Duque at kung sakaling ito po ay mag-positibo siya, saka po natin bibigyan ng abiso si Presidente para mag-test ulit at para mag-quarantine (If Secretary Duque’s test result turns out to be positive, we will advise the President to take another test and undergo self-quarantine),” she said in a Palace press briefing. In an interview with dzMM on Friday, Duque assured the public that he was “okay” and not exhibiting any red-flag symptoms of Covid-19 infection. Duque was tested for Covid-19 because he has asthma and hypertension, and belongs to the elderly population, Vergeirre said. ‘Fit and healthy’ On Monday, Duterte was with
Duque when the implementation of month-long enhanced community quarantine in Luzon was declared. Duterte already underwent a test for Covid-19 at Bahay Pagbabago in Malacañan on March 12 after having close contact with some Cabinet members who have direct exposure to an infected individual. On March 13, Duterte’s test results bared that he was negative for the coronavirus disease. In an interview with ANC on Thursday, Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo maintained that Duterte remains “fit and healthy” despite his recent interaction with Duque. Panelo said Duterte, 74, is asymptomatic and can still perform his duties well. “I would like to assure our countrymen that he is fit and healthy. Wala siyang sakit. Wala siyang sintomas ng kahit ano (He is not sick. He is not exhibiting any symptoms of Covid-19),” he said. The Philippines now has 217 Covid-19 cases, with 17 deaths and eight cases of recovery. (PNA)
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Covid-19 vaccine trial begins: WHO GENEVA — The first vaccine tria l for the deadly coronavirus has begun, the World Health Organization (W HO) head said Wednesday. Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the t r ia l bega n “just 60 days after the genetic sequence of the virus was shared by China”. He did not say where the trial is being held. W hile the trial is a milestone, health officials say it will take at least 12 to 18 months for a vaccine to be available for public use. At the virtual news conference held at the WHO headquarters in Geneva, he said more than 200,000 cases of t he v irus have been conf irmed a nd over 8,000 deaths reported worldwide. Tedros praised the resea rcher s a rou nd the world who he said
PRESIDENT RODRIGO DUTERTE AND HEALTH SECRETARY FRANCIS DUQUE III
are acting together “to systemically evaluate ex perimenta l t herapeutics". “Multiple small trials with different methodologies may not give us the clear, strong evidence we need about which treatments help to save lives,” he said. It was for this reason that the WHO and its partners were organizing a study in countries in which some of the untested treatments are compared with each other. Countries that have confirmed they will join the “solidarity trial" include Argentina, Bahrain, Canada, France, Iran, Norway, South Africa, Spain, Switzerland and Thailand. “We know that many countries now face escalating epidemics and are feeling overwhelmed,” said Tedros noting that there is also hope. Countries could do many things such as physica l d ista nci ng measures -- like
c a nc el i ng s p or t i ng events, concerts, and other large gatherings which can help slow transmission of the virus. They can reduce the burden on the health system and help make epidemics manageable, allowing targeted and focused measures. “But to suppress and c ont r ol e pidem ic s , countries must isolate, test, treat and trace,” Tedro cautioned. “If they don’t, transm ission cha i ns ca n continue at a low level, then resurge once physical distancing measures are lifted.” He said that the WHO continues to recommend that isolating, testing and treating every suspected case, and tracing every contact, must be the backbone of the response in every country. “This is t he best hope of prevent i ng widespread communit y transmission,” s a i d Te d r o s . (Anadolu)
