Virgin Coconut Oil Against COVID-19: How is the research going?
The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic undeniably shook the whole world since the beginning of 2020. Though publicly known that the virus was first detected late 2019 from a province in China, during early January of 2020 only highlighted China in the international news. The world wasn’t particularly alarmed back then as this is not the first flu-like virus that originated from China that has killed (and is killing) a lot of people. But as weeks passed, it started to spread uncontrollably to different countries around the globe and the damage it is causing is already history in the making.
The Philippines reported its first COVID-19 case by the end of January. It started to alarm the public for a potential widespread transmission of the virus since then. As weeks went by and more cases were detected, the government then started enforcing laws to protect the public from the killer disease. And by the second week of March 2020, Metro Manila and the whole island of Luzon was placed under strict community quarantine. The number of confirmed cases continuously increased in the whole country.
Potential cure for COVID-19
A disease plaguing the world brutally should by all means be stopped. As early as February 2020, the Department of Science and Technology has announced that certain studies are being conducted by Filipino scientists in order to find a cure for the virus. Together with several off-label drugs, virgin coconut oil is also being eyed to be a potential cure for COVID-19. And if the studies prove its effectiveness, it could be the next big thing in the Philippine market or even globally.
Virgin Coconut Oil as a Supplement
The clinic-based and community-based trials are already approved by the government. Medical experts from University of the Philippines and Ateneo de Manila University are partnering the research with the government. The clinic-based trial is being conducted in the UP-PGH and several other hospitals in Metro Manila. Patients with moderate and severe COVID-19 cases are taking virgin coconut oil as a supplement on top of daily treatment received. For the community-based trials, virgin coconut oil is being consumed by PUIs in certain communities in NCR and CALABARZON. VCO will be mixed in the food before it is served and there will be no heat treatment included as experts aim for VCO to be consumed in its pure form. Both clinic-based and community-based trials are expected to last for 28 days or more.
Virgin Coconut Oil as a Preventive Agent against COVID-19
Also, a separate study about virgin coconut oil used as a preventive agent against COVID-19 is being done in partnership with medical experts from the National University of Singapore. Dr. Fabian Dayrit, a professor from Ateneo de Manila University has long been studying virgin coconut oil because of its anti-viral characteristics. He is also leading the research for VCO’s efficacy against COVID-19 and has shared his study to other researchers from coconut-producing countries in order to encourage further exploration of the possibility.
As of now, the researchers are still waiting for the results of the studies being conducted. Since the trials for patients and PUIs started early this month, the result will most likely be available by the first week of May 2020, the earliest. Who wouldn’t be hoping for a positive result of the study? Aside from the fact that virgin coconut oil has low to zero risk compared to drugs potentially curing COVID-19, it is also cheaper and very abundant in the Philippines. It is indeed a promising cure and while it still remains just a possibility for now, the whole country should aspire for it to be the cure. Not only it will save thousands of lives around the world, but it will also open new doors of great possibilities for the Philippines in the field of science and business as well as achieving a jubilant global recognition.
Coconut water has very impressive hydration properties that made it a major competition for energy drinks in the sports world. During the rise of the product in the global market, many athletes even started promoting coconut water as their go-to sports drink during training. This became coconut water’s major winning streak in penetrating the market. Many studies have been conducted in order to prove the efficacy of coconut water as a sports drink when compared to commercial energy drinks and plain water.
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