Push Admin

DOST: Lagundi helped patients recover from mild COVID-19 symptoms in trial

Article (news)

ABS-CBN News

<figure class="op-interactive"><iframe allow="autoplay; fullscreen" frameBorder="0" height="100%" id="ivsplayer01" scrolling="no" src="https://player.ivideosmart.com/ivsplayer/v4/dist/html/iframe-src.html?iframeid=ivsplayer01&amp;key=e8c22c015ca9eafa76f1e3edfa03c603&amp;spid=3001339&amp;vid=1717176" width="100%"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar"><div><em>Video courtesy of PTV</em></div></div><p>MANILA <strong>(UPDATE)</strong> — Traditional herb lagundi helped COVID-19 sufferers recover faster from mild symptoms in a local clinical trial, the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) said on Wednesday. <br/> <br/>The study involved 278 patients from different quarantine centers. Half of them were given lagundi, while the rest were not, said DOST Secretary Fortunato Dela Peña. </p><p>&quot;Lahat naman sila’y gumaling. Ang pagkakaiba lang po nila, unang-una, iyong mga nag-lagundi, madaling nagbalik iyong kanilang pang-amoy ano,&quot; he said in a televised public briefing. </p><p>(They all recovered. The difference is first, for those who used lagundi, their sense of smell returned quickly.)</p><p>Loss of sense of smell is a symptom of COVID-19, along with fever, dry cough, tiredness, aches and pains, sore throat, diarrhea, conjunctivitis, headache, and skin rash or discoloration of fingers or toes, experts earlier said. </p><p>Lagundi is traditionally used to treat cough. </p><p>&quot;Iyon pong mga sintomas nung mga nag-take ng lagundi ay mas unang nawala iyong mga sintomas ano. Pero ang kanilang kabuuang finding eh pare-pareho silang umabot ng between 7 [and] 8 days bago maka-recover at wala naman pong naging adverse effect,&quot; said Dela Peña. </p><p>(The symptoms of those who took lagundi disappeared sooner. But it all took them 7 to 8 days to recover, and there were no adverse effects.)</p><p>Researchers on Wednesday might finish analyzing how lagundi affected the viral load or amount of virus in a patient&#x27;s blood, he said. </p><p>&quot;Kung maganda iyong resulta, ito ay inaasahan namin na sana naman ay i-recommend ng ating DOH at puwede ring ituloy ang trials para sa mga moderate cases,&quot; said the official. </p><p>(If the results are good, we expect the DOH to recommend this and the trial could extend to moderate cases.)<br/> <br/>A separate clinical trial on the use of <a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/06/03/20/virgin-coconut-oil-clinical-trials-for-severe-covid-19-cases-in-pgh-gets-greenlight" target="_blank">virgin coconut oil</a> to treat patients with moderate and severe COVID-19 is expected to be finished in July, he said. </p><p>It needs 5 more participants to finish the study, Dela Peña told ABS-CBN&#x27;s Teleradyo on Thursday.</p><p>The DOST earlier said virgin coconut oil could be used as a food supplement to reduce the symptoms of probable and suspect COVID-19 cases. </p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/04/21/20/works-like-soap-scientist-explains-why-virgin-coconut-oil-could-be-covid-19-cure">&#x27;Works like soap&#x27;: Scientist explains why virgin coconut oil could be COVID-19 cure</a></li>	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/video/news/04/23/21/eyeing-ivermectin-try-readily-available-vco-proven-covid-19-buster-cabsec">Eyeing ivermectin? Try readily available VCO, proven COVID-19 buster– CabSec</a></li></ul><p>Another 40 participants are needed in the agency&#x27;s study into tawa-tawa clinical trial, Dela Peña said.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/video/news/06/11/20/tawa-tawa-lagundi-vs-covid-19-philippines-mulls-traditional-herbs-in-pandemic-fight">Tawa-tawa, lagundi vs COVID-19? Philippines mulls traditional herbs in pandemic fight</a></li></ul><p>The Philippines has tallied some 1.4 million <a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/multimedia/infographic/03/17/20/tracking-covid-19-cases-in-the-philippines">coronavirus infections</a>, the second highest in Southeast Asia. </p><figure class="op-interactive"><iframe allow="autoplay; fullscreen" frameBorder="0" height="100%" id="ivsplayer01" scrolling="no" src="https://player.ivideosmart.com/ivsplayer/v4/dist/html/iframe-src.html?iframeid=ivsplayer01&amp;key=e8c22c015ca9eafa76f1e3edfa03c603&amp;spid=3001339&amp;vid=1717673" width="100%"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more in <a href="//www.iwantv.com.ph/">iWantv</a> or <a href="//tfc.tv/">TFC.tv</a></div>

<p>Traditional herb lagundi helped COVID-19 sufferers recover faster from mild symptoms in a local clinical trial, the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) said on Wednesday. </p>

Traditional herb lagundi helped COVID-19 sufferers recover faster from mild symptoms in a local clinical trial, the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) said on Wednesday.