Good News! Clinical trials using Philippine virgin coconut oil (VCO) as an anti-viral treatment for COVID-19 patients are being expanded to the CALABARZON region.
The conduct of more definitive studies of VCO as a treatment against the coronavirus disease (COVID 19) will now also be conducted in collaboration with the Department of Science and Technology (DOST)-CALABARZON and Mayor Arlene Arcillas-Nazareno of Santa Rosa, Laguna.
The expanded study uses the Food and Nutrition Research Institute research and development on VCO as a food supplement.
DOST provided Php 5 million for the expanded VCO studies after receiving an ethics committee approval for a modified clinical study on the efficacy of virgin coconut oil.
The ethics committee approval for clinical trials involves living subjects in a randomized, modified clinical study of VCO as a food supplement that can reveal the therapeutic claims by VCO to help fight the coronavirus.
As the worldwide search for the elusive remedy against the COVID-19 continues the DOST embarked on several studies using VCO as a possible cure and as a supplement to help patients combat the coronavirus disease.
These studies are very important since VCO is abundant and indigenous. Not only can it help cure and alleviate the suffering of the victims of COVID 19 it could also significantly benefit the farmers and the coconut industry of the country.
DOST Secretary Fortunato de la Peña announced on April 23, 2020, that GreenLife Coconut Products Philippines Inc., known to be one of the top producers of virgin coconut oil (VCO) in Quezon province that has been supplying the VCO to Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM) will now supply to Region IV-A.
GreenLife, one of the Small Enterprise Technology Upgrading Program (SETUP) beneficiaries of DOST-CALABARZON has been providing 100 pcs of 250 ml VCO or more depending on the request of RITM.
Greenlife also gives VCO and other coconut products to the frontliners in the hospitals in Tayabas and even to some checkpoint areas around the Quezon Province. All of these are given for free as a way to help the community and contribute to fighting the COVID-19 pandemic.
DOST is also supporting and funding other VCO studies like the hospital-based study by the University of the Philippines-Philippine General Hospital on “Virgin Coconut Oil and Omega-3a Adjunctive Therapy for Hospitalized Patients with COVID 19” that is headed by Dr. Marissa Alejandria, president of the Philippine Society for Microbiology and Infectious Diseases.
This study focuses on VCO servings as a supplement to the daily treatment regimen of COVID-19 positive patients at PGH. The study is hoping to assess the possible benefits of VCO if given to patients with moderate to severe COVID-19 in addition to the drugs being assessed in clinical trials.
Another DOST supported research and development study is the possible cure for COVID-19 using VCO which is being pursued is led by Professor Fabian Antonio Dayrit of Ateneo de Manila University.
Dayrit, in collaboration with Duke University-National University of Singapore is testing coconut oil’s ability to help fight off and prevent infection of the COVID 19.
SEND CHEERS in the comments below to DOST for supporting studies on the use of Philippine virgin coconut oil in the treatment of COVID-19.
Want to know how to be a Proud Pinoy? Like, Follow, Subscribe to GoodNewsPilipinas.com, and our socials Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Good News Pilipinas! TV on YouTube, for new story notifications, and e-mail newsletters for updates on more Filipino Pride stories
