The ongoing Virgin Coconut Oil (VCO) trials among coronavirus disease (COVID-19) patients at the Philippine General Hospital (PGH) and in Valenzuela City are expected to be completed by June, an official of the Department of Science and Technology said Saturday, March 20.
DOST-Philippine Council for Health Research and Development (PCHRD) Executive Director Dr. Jaime C. Montoya said the increasing cases of COVID-19 cases in the country would help expedite the ongoing VCO trials.
“'Yung sa PGH po base sa recruitment nila at tingin po natin ay mapapabilis ito dahil dumadami na po ang kaso ang may COVID, ito po ay hanggang Hunyo. Kasama na po dyan ang pag-aanalisa ng datos, ganyon din po sa Valenzuela (The PGH , based on their recruitment, we think that this will be expedited because of the increasing cases of COVID, it will be completed by June. That includes the analysis of data, we have the same target for the Valenzuela VCO trial),” he told GMA’s Dobol B TV in an interview when asked on the target completion of the VCO trials.
He said they were keenly monitoring the trials being conducted at the PGH and in Valenzuela City aimed at ensuring the effectiveness of VCO as a potential supplement that could prevent the worsening of condition in patients afflicted with the disease.
During his weekly report on Friday, March 5. DOST Secretary Fortunato “Boy” T. de la Peña said more participants were needed in the VCO trial at the PGH as only 19 out of the 434 screened patients were qualified to participate in the study.
The study, “Virgin Coconut Oil as Adjunctive Therapy for Hospitalized COVID-19 Patients”, which is being implemented by the University of the Philippines (UP)-Manila, is targeting “more or less” 100 participants, he said.
The VCO trial study among 120 COVID-19 patients in Valenzuela City started in February 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- (PCHRD), and Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA).
The Valenzuela City Emergency Hospital and Dalandanan National High School Isolation Facility were identified sites for the VCO clinical study.
Recent studies conducted by the DOST-FNRI showed that VCO is a potential supplement that prevents the worsening of condition in patients afflicted with the COVID-19 virus.
De la Peña had noted that 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.
In early December last year, dela Peña disclosed that another VCO study will be conducted in Valenzuela City after the FRNI team found the effectiveness of VCO on 57 probable and suspected cases at the Santa Rosa Community Quarantine Facility and in Santa Rosa Community Hospital.