Published May 7, 2021, 12:35 PM Since 2020, the Philippines has been looking into the effectiveness of virgin coconut oil as a potential supplement to help prevent symptoms from becoming severe for probable and suspect coronavirus disease (COVID-19) cases, and as an adjunct therapy for hospitalized COVID patients. (Manila Bulletin File Photo) The Department of Science and Technology (DOST) is bracing for the completion of two ongoing studies on the VCO by June this year. The first project seeks to look into VCO as an adjunctive therapy for hospitalized COVID-19 patients. Dr. Marissa M. Alejandria of the University of the Philippines-Manila National Institutes of Health (UP-NIH) is leading the team.