CALOOCAN CITY, (PIA) -- Seeking to evaluate the beneficial effect of virgin coconut oil (VCO) given to probable COVID-19 patients in Valenzuela City, the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) has tapped a total of 61 “active” volunteers for its latest clinical trial.

This was disclosed by DOST Secretary Fortunato T. de la Peña during his weekly report, over the weekend.

“Of this number, 51 were excluded due to comorbidities or abnormal blood results such as high cholesterol, triglycerides, free blood sugar (FBS) and low density lipoprotein (LDL),” de la Peña said.

“Sixty-one are active subjects, 14 of which are undergoing interventions while 47 have graduated,” he added.

The randomized double-blind controlled intervention VCO trial is being conducted by DOST-Food and Nutrition Research Institute.

De la Peña said the DOST-FNRI VCO study hit its target number of volunteers and secured the voluntary participation of 120 suspected COVID-19 patients. He said eight of the 120 subjects did not complete the intervention.

The intervention trial was supposed to be implemented on May 1, 2020 to June 31, 2021.

De la Peña reported that the recruitment of study participants in Muntinlupa City has already started.

The DOST said in May that they asked the management of the Ospital ng Muntinlupa to allow its hospital to serve as site for their ongoing study. (DOST/PIA-NCR)