MANILA, Philippines — Herbal medicine lagundi can help mild COVID-19 patients get rid of their symptoms faster and speed up the return of their sense of smell, preliminary findings of a study conducted by the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) showed.
In a televised briefing on Wednesday, DOST Secretary Fortunato Dela Peña explained 278 participants of the study were divided into two groups — those who were given lagundi and those who did not take it or the placebo group.
“Ang pagkakaiba lang po nila, unang una, yung mga nag-lagundi, madaling nagbalik yung kanilang pang-amoy. Kasi isa po sa mga sintomas ay yung pagkawala ng panlasa, pagkawala ng pang-amoy, ubo, masakit na lalamunan, lagnat, nahihirapan huminga,” Dela Peña said.
(The difference is that those who took lagundi, their sense of smell returned faster. Because the symptoms include the loss of taste, smell, cough, sore throat, fever and difficulty in breathing.)
“Ang una po nilang nakita ay yung mga nag-lagundi ay madali nagbalik ang kanilang pang-amoy. Pangalawa, yun pong mga sintomas ng mga nag-take ng lagundi, mas unang nawala yung mga sintomas,” he added.
(The first thing they saw was that the sense of smell of those who took lagundi returned faster. Second, symptoms of those who took lagundi got rid of their symptoms faster.)
While patients who took lagundi got rid of their symptoms faster, Dela Peña said all 278 participants of the study recovered from COVID-19 in seven to eight days. No adverse effects were observed in all participants.
Dela Peña said the team spearheading the clinical trials for lagundi as supplemental COVID-19 treatment might release the analysis this Wednesday.
“Kung maganda ang resulta, ito ay inaasahan namin na irecommend ng ating DOH [Department of Health]. At pwede rin ituloy ang trials para sa mga moderate cases,” he added.
(If the results are good, we expect the DOH to recommend this. And we may also continue the trials for moderate cases.)
Dela Peña noted that lagundi is only a supplemental treatment and not for COVID-19 prevention.
It was in July last year when clinical trials for lagundi, widely used as a cough remedy, were approved by the DOST’s Philippine Council for Health Research and Development.
Apart from lagundi, the DOST is also conducting trials on the effectiveness of virgin coconut oil in the recovery of COVID-19 patients. Dela Peña said results of these trials may come out in July.