DOST eyeing virgin coconut oil as food supplement for COVID-19 patients

The Department of Science and Technology (DOST) is studying the use of virgin coconut oil as a supplement to the diets of people who have tested positive for the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), a health official said on Wednesday.

Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said the study is being administered to confirmed COVID-19 cases inside hospitals and community quarantine facilities.

“Patuloy pa rin ang pag-aaral ng mga eskpersto ng siyensya at medisina upang makahanap ng tamang lunas sa COVID-19,” she said. “Kami po ay magbibigay ng mga updates… sa mga darating na mga araw.”

Meanwhile, Vergeire also said that the arthritis drug tocilizumab and the Japanese influenza antiviral favipiravir may now be studied as investigational drugs for COVID-19.

“Nakapaloob na ito sa ating local PSMID guidelines, ‘yung atin pong guidelines for clinical management na ginawa po ng Philippine Society for Microbiology and Infectious Diseases,” she explained.

“Nakapasok na po itong lahat ng gamot na ito para magamit po ng ating mga pasyente.”

The Philippines earlier began studying the benefits of convalescent plasma therapy and the use of other off-label drugs such as remdesivir, lopinavir, ritonavir, interferon, chloroquine, and hydroxychloroquine against COVID-19. —LDF, GMA News