Published April 15, 2021, 12:59 PM
Halfway through 2020, doctors at The Medical City (TMC) evaluated and used stem cells from the umbilical cord of newborns for the treatment of severe COVID-19 pneumonia.
One year into the pandemic, cases are still rapidly rising in the Philippines. The Department of Health (DOH) on March 24, 2021 recorded an additional 6,666 COVID-19 cases, bringing the national caseload to 684,311 and 13,039 deaths.
Infection with COVID-19 has been identified to have two phases: a viral phase when the virus penetrates human cells and produces more viruses, and an inflammatory phase when the body’s immune reaction tries to contain the virus. In some cases, however, the inflammation goes out of control when immune cells release too many cytokines and cause damage to normal cells and tissues – called a “cytokine storm.” This leads to harmful effects on many organs of the body and can lead to death if left untreated.