The Department of Science and Technology (DOST) has announced that the Virgin Coconut Oil (VCO) trial study among 120 coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) patients in Valenzuela City is set to start this early February.
DOST Secretary Fortunato T. dela Peña disclosed this during his weekly report on Friday.
He noted that the VCO clinical trials are set to start following the signing of a memorandum of agreement (MOA) between the City of Valenzuela, DOST-National Capital Region (DOST-NCR), and DOST-Food and Nutrition Research Institute (FNRI), in collaboration with the DOST- Philippine Council for Health Research and Development (PCHRD), and Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA).
"One hundred twenty volunteers are targeted to participate in the study which will commence in early February 2021,” dela Peña said.
He noted that the Valenzuela City Emergency Hospital and Dalandanan National High School Isolation Facility the sites for the VCO clinical study have been identified as sites for the study.
According to him, the final briefing for the VCO trials was held on Feb. 1, 2021. It was facilitated by the DOST-NCR, DOST-FNRI, and Valenzuela city government, through its Valenzuela City Emergency Hospital, Valenzuela City Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit, and Dalandanan NHS Isolation Facility.
Citing the recent studies conducted by the DOST-FNRI, he said the VCO was identified as a potential supplement that prevents the worsening of condition in patients afflicted with the COVID-19 virus.
"To evaluate the effects of VCO intake in positive symptomatic and asymptomatic cases, VCO trials in Valenzuela City will serve as a confirmatory study following the completion of the trials in Sta. Rosa Laguna,” he said.
In early December last year, dela Peña disclosed that another VCO study will be conducted in Valenzuela City after the FRNI team found out the effectiveness of VCO on 57 probable and suspected cases at the Santa Rosa Community Quarantine Facility and in Santa Rosa Community Hospital.