STUDIES conducted by the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) on the use of virginc coconut oil (VCO) as a Covid-19 treatment revealed that VCO can help hasten the recovery of the patient.
“Tapos na yong aming community trials, at napakita na for mild covid, ‘yong VCO talagang at least five days kang mas madaling gumaling compared sa walang VCO, tapos hindi maging severe yong case mo, so hindi ka maospital, ‘yon ‘yong magic ng VCO for mild Covid-19 (Our community trials are already done. Results of the trials showed that mild Covid-19 patients using VCO recovered faster by an average of five days compared to those who were not taking VCO. It also help prevent mmild patients from becoming server cases),” Department of Science and Technology Usec. Rowena Guevara said in an interview during the S4CP Summit Mindanao Cluster on May 27, 2022.
In 2020, DOST announced that after months of research, coconut oil and virgin coconut oil (VCO) compounds reduced the viral load of coronavirus count by 60 to 90 percent.
Dr. Fabian Dayrit of Ateneo De Manila University led the DOST-The Philippine Council for Health Research and Development (PCHRD)-funded study. Following previous research that VCO compounds are effective at killing other viruses, the research team "sought to investigate if coconut oil compounds are effective antiviral agents to prevent or reduce Covid-19 infection."
The same year, the Davao City Government permitted the use of virgin coconut oil (VCO) for Covid-19 patients in the temporary treatment and monitoring facilities (TTMF), but only for volunteers.
Guevara said that they have found two more local plants that could reduce the viral load of Covid-19 patients.
“Meron din tayong tawa-tawa, tsaka meron din tayong lagundi. So, proud tayo sa lagundi kasi kasama na sya sa standard of care ng Department of Health (DOH), so kung may magkasakit ng Covid-19, pinadalhan nila ng care kit, may kasamang lagundi yon (We also have tawa-tawa and lagundi, we are proud to say that lagundi is already part of the standard of care of the DOH. Whenever they will send a care kit to a Covid-19 patient, they will include the lagundi),” Guevara said.
As of January 2022, the home care kit includes paracetamol, vitamin c, carbocisteine, face masks, soap, alcogel, disinfectant spray and tip sheet.