Valenzuela City was identified as another site where the study on virgin coconut oil (VCO) will be conducted among symptomatic, asymptomatic positive Covid-19 cases.
Science Secretary Fortunato de la Peña said on the virtual DOST Report media briefing that the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) identified Valenzuela City as a test site in recognition to the importance of widening its scope and expanding the research on using VCO as a potential supplement to prevent the worsening of conditions caused by Covid-19.
Valenzuela City was chosen in addition to the test held in Santa Rosa, Laguna, last year.
He said the DOST-National Capital Region facilitated the coordination among the other involved agencies and provided funds amounting to P2,120,300.
In addition, Valenzuela also provided a counterpart fund for the implementation of the study.
De la Peña said the study has a target sample size of 120 individuals that are further divided into two groups of 60 control samples and 60 samples provided with intervention.
Meanwhile, the inclusion criteria are those symptomatic and asymptomatic cases with positive RT-PCR tests.
The other cooperating agencies involved in the research are the DOST’s Philippine Council for Health Research and Development and Food and Nutrition Research Institute, and the Philippine Coconut Authority.
At a virtual media briefing last month, de la Peña announced that based on the Sta. Rosa study VCO “could be used” as an adjunct supplement to probable and suspected Covid-19 cases because it could prevent such cases from becoming severe.
He said the volunteers who took “VCO recovered from infection or inflammation approximately 14 days after being subjected to the intervention.”
“Symptoms in the VCO Group significantly declined at Day 2 and no symptoms were observed at Day 18,” he added.