DOST continues study on virgin coconut oil vs. COVID-19

The Department of Science and Technology (DOST) on Friday said it is continuing its study on the potential benefits of virgin coconut oil to COVID-19 patients.

At the Laging Handa briefing, DOST Secretary Fortunato dela Peña said the trial at the Santa Rosa Community Hospital in Laguna has been completed and that another in Valenzuela will start.

At the Philippine General Hospital, researchers will be including patients with comorbidities in their pool of possible participants, Dela Peña said.

He said only patients with severe and moderate cases of COVID-19 were previously included, but that their number has been going down in the past weeks, slowing down recruitment for the study.

He said it will be up to the researchers to select the patients with comorbidities that will not cause a negative reaction if they joined the trial.

Last October, the DOST said its VCO study showed "very promising" results.

Researchers found that compounds from coconut oil and VCO decreased coronavirus count by 60% to 90% at low viral load, the DOST said, adding that the compounds also helped improve cell survival.

But they said more experiments are needed to see whether higher concentrations of coconut oil compounds will further reduce the replication rate of the virus that causes the COVID-19. —KBK, GMA News