The World Health Organization has announced that Thailand will join a multi-country clinical study for potential treatments for COVID-19, part of a rapid global search for drugs to treat COVID-19.
Thailand will be joined by Argentina, Bahrain, Canada, France, Iran, Norway, South Africa, Spain and Switzerland in what is being called the ‘Solidarity trial’.
“This global problem requires urgent global solutions,” said Daniel Kertesz, WHO Representative to Thailand. “Thailand will be a valued partner in hosting studies to evaluate whether potential treatments are effective – The goal is to identify medicines that will save lives in the global battle to fight this virus.”
The Solidarity trial will test four different drugs, or combinations of drugs – remdesivir, a combination of two drugs, lopinavir and ritonavir, the two drugs plus interferon beta, and chloroquine – and will compare their effectiveness to what is called standard of care — the regular support hospitals treating COVID-19 patients use now.
The WHO Representative urged Thailand and other countries to not remain vigilant and not ease up the efforts to defeat the coronavirus:
“We must use every opportunity to reduce the spread of COVID-19 between people. Public health authorities will continue to do their part – by testing for COVID-19, isolating cases quickly to prevent transmission of the virus, treating them and tracing their contacts. But every person has the capacity to contribute, to protect themselves, to protect others, whether at home, in your community, at the workplace or on the transport system.”
WHO is working closely with the Government of Thailand as it increases its public health response to the COVID-19 disease, providing technical assistance and facilitating knowledge exchange between countries and organizations working together to fight the virus.
With the whole world coming together for a common cause, surely a vaccine will be created to defeat the novel coronavirus, sooner rather than later.