Virgin coconut oil is extracted from fresh coconut meat. File
MANILA - The Department of Science and Technology said Friday it would start clinical trials of virgin coconut oil (VCO) on patients infected with the new coronavirus disease to see if it could help speed up their recovery.
Clinical trials will start with COVID-19 patients at the Philippine General Hospital in Manila, and the Santa Rosa Community Hospital in Laguna, Science Secretary Fortunato Dela Peña said.
Patients who would give their consent for the clinical trial will take VCO as part of their daily diet, Dela Peña said, to see if they would recover faster than those who don't drink the oil.
"Ang hangarin po namin ngayon ay maipakita na mas mabilis ang recovery ng mga magte-take ng VCO," he said in a virtual press briefing.
(Our goal is to show that those who will take VCO will recover faster.)
"Malaking bagay po kung makikita na nakakapagpabilis ng recovery ito dahil abundant po ito dito sa atin at affordable naman," he added.
(It would be beneficial if we can see that this can speed up recovery because this is abundant in the Philippines, and affordable too.)
If clinical trials will be successful, Dela Peña said the DOST hopes that VCO would be cleared by the Food and Drug Administration as a health supplement for those with COVID-19.
So far, the world has yet to find a cure or vaccine for COVID-19 but clinical trials are ongoing on drugs seen as possible treatment for the respiratory disease.
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