By ANALOU DE VERA
The Department of Health reported 1,392 new COVID-19 infections Thursday, raising the country’s total to 424,297.
The country recorded below 2,000 COVID-19 cases for the 17th straight day.
The number of active cases in the country or those who are still ill is 28,789 or 6.8 percent of the nationwide tally.
Recoveries jumped to 387,266 with 328 new survivors.
Meanwhile, the death toll climbed to 8,242 with 27 new fatalities, the DoH said.
The top areas with the most number of new cases were Caloocan City (77), Cavite (73), Laguna (73), Davao City (62), and Quezon (60), the DoH said.
The clinical trial for Japanese anti-influenza drug Avigan in the Philippines has already started, Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said.
“Nag-umpisa po tayo nung (We started on) Nov. 20 and we already have eight participants,” said Vergeire. The trial was supposed to start last August.
“Last Nov. 20, formally and officially, we are starting the trial for Avigan,” she added.
The Health official said that three patients are enrolled at the Philippine General Hospital, three at Dr. Jose N. Rodriguez Memorial Hospital, and two at Quirino Memorial Medical Center while the Sta. Ana Hospital has yet to recruit a participant.
Vergeire said that the recruitment protocol for this trial has been eased to enroll more patients. The sample size of the study has been increased from 96 to 144.
“Hopefully, in the coming days and weeks, we can reach the number of samples that we need to complete this trial,” she said.
