EFE
Philippines
Virgin coconut oil helps destroy the covid-19 virus so it can be useful as an antiviral against the disease caused by the new coronavirus, according to the first experiments of a research carried out in the Philippines.
The Philippine Council for Health Research and Development (PCHRD) studied the effects of coconut oil against covid-19 for months in an experimental phase and has already started clinical trials with 56 patients.
“THE RESULTS ARE VERY PROMISING, AS THEY NOT ONLY SHOW THAT COCONUT OIL, BY ITSELF, CAN DESTROY THE VIRUS, BUT THAT IT CAN ALSO BE A KEY MECHANISM TO UPREGULATE THE IMMUNE RESPONSE AGAINST COVID-19,” HE SAID IN A STATEMENT JAIME MONTOYA, DIRECTOR OF THE PCHRD.
According to research funded by the Department of Science and Technology of the Philippines, the compounds in virgin coconut oil reduce the viral load of COVID-19 by between 60% and 90%, in addition to supporting cell survival, which implies that helps to strengthen the response of the immune system.
However, the PCHRD cautioned that more experiments are needed to determine whether a higher concentration of coconut oil compounds can further reduce the rate of replication of the virus that causes the respiratory disease covid-19.
The Philippine Secretary of Science, Fortunato de la Peña, indicated today in an interview with a local radio station that the first analysis of virgin coconut oil as a possible antiviral agent could be available by the second week of November.
Regarding the clinical trials with 56 patients at the Laguna Hospital, De la Peña clarified that good results have been achieved, but that they were patients with mild symptoms of covid-19.
For this reason, the General Hospital of the Philippines launched a parallel clinical trial this month to test the effects of the use of coconut oil among more severe COVID-19 patients.
The Philippines has been ousted by Indonesia as the Southeast Asian country with the most COVID-19 infections, with 356,618 infections -39,800 are still active cases- and 6,652 deaths.
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