The study being done at the Philippine General Hospital (PGH) was approved in June last year and was supposed to be finished by May 2021.
But progress was hampered by a number of factors, DOST Secretary Fortunato Dela Peña said in a briefing.
These include difficulty in reaching the target number of participants, which is now down to 78 from the initial goal of 100.
The DOST chief said this is because patients’ comorbidities are taken into consideration, which results in a lower number of people qualifying for the clinical trial.
Dela Pena added there were months when PGH admissions for severe and moderate COVID-19 patients were low.
“Nung ito namang umaandar na ulit, nagkasunog naman sa PGH [When we saw progress again, a fire then broke out at PGH],” he said, referring to the May incident.
Another VCO clinical trial in Valenzuela City for suspect and probable COVID-19 cases has also yet to recruit enough eligible volunteers, Dela Pena earlier said.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, June 30) – The clinical trial on virgin coconut oil (VCO) as adjunct treatment for moderate and severe COVID-19 patients may be completed next month, the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) said Wednesday.
