Covid-19 patient joins vaccine trial

BAGUIO CITY: John Celinger Batulan, the Baguio General Hospital and Medical Center ( BGHMC) nurse, who tested positive of coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) on June 2, is the city’s first participant to an ongoing international clinical trial to find a cure for the disease.

Known as solidarity trial, the treatment study “aims to compare four treatment options against a standard of care, to assess their relative effectiveness against Covid- 19 by enrolling patients in multiple countries,” according to the World Health Organization.

The medicines on trial include Remdesivir made by Gilead, Lopinavir by Hetero Labs Ltd. and Interferon by Merck Shark and Dohme.

Batulan said he gave his consent to the BGHMC authorities to join the trial by signing a form last June 2, the same day his infection was confirmed.

“I want to be part of the solution to this health problem despite the risks and the challenges. The medicine may not be effective for me, but the results will help determine if it can be effective for other patients,” he added.

After his vitals and creatinine levels stabilized, Batulan was administered the experimental medicine.

His brother Jeffrey, who was also diagnosed last June 4, opted for regular medications.

Both patients recently agreed to reveal their identities to speed up contact tracing and prevent transmission in response to the call of Mayor Benjamin Magalong.

John is a nurse at the BGHMC psychiatric ward. A cancer survivor who beat the disease in 2016, he was immuno-compromised but continued to serve as a frontliner.