The Department of Science and Technology will be testing if virgin coconut oil can be used to prevent the coronavirus disease.
The upcoming trial builds on previous studies that saw VCO having promising effects on patients with mild COVID-19 cases. The coronavirus count reduced by as much as 60 to 90 percent among these patients, according to Jaime Montoya, the executive director of the Philippine Council for Health Research and Development.
To check for the preventative effects of virgin coconut oil against COVID-19, the upcoming trial will examine volunteers who are currently not positive but were previously exposed to the virus. The trial will then see if these test subjects get infected.
Montoya, however, has made it clear that virgin coconut oil is only an approved food supplement and not a cure. She recommends using it for adjuvant therapy, similar to lagundi and tawa-tawa, to help people stay healthy.
Source: GMA News