The Department of Science and Technology (DOST) on Wednesday revealed that based on preliminary results of their ongoing trial Virgin Coconut Oil (VCO) can be used as an ''adjunct supplement'' for suspected cases of COVID-19.

"Results of the community trials demonstrated that VCO can be used as an adjunct supplement to suspect and probable cases due to its viral and immunomodulatory properties," said DOST.

DOST noted its team observed that "by Day 2 of intervention, symptoms in the VCO group demonstrated significant clinical improvement compared to the control group."

"The VCO group had no COVID-19 related symptoms by Day 18 and more participants had normal CPR levels after treatment compared to the control group." it stated.

"Meanwhile, the analysis of the results for the hospital trials is still ongoing. Further study at the molecular level is needed to determine the actual effects of using VCO among hospitalized COVID-19 patients," the agency added.

The DOST also noted that trials on Lagundi as an ''adjunct treatment'' for COVID-19 shows the herbal plant can be safely used for the symptomatic treatment of mild coronavirus infection. Robina Asido/DMS