Mohammad Setayesh - Department of Persian Medicine, Faculty of Traditional Medicine, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
Alireza Zahedi-Neyestani - Department of Traditional Medicine, Faculty of Persian Medicine, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
Golamreza Asadikaram - Applied Cellular and Molecular Research Center, Faculty of Medicine, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
Haleh Tajadini - Department of Traditional Medicine, Faculty of Persian Medicine, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran ,Physiology Research Center, Institute of Neuropharmacology, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
Masoud Moghadari - Department of Persian Medicine, Faculty of Traditional Medicine, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
Armita Shahesmaeili - HIV/STI Surveillance Research Center, and WHO Collaborating Center for HIV Surveillance, Institute for Futures Studies in Health, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
Saeideh Jafarinejad-Farsangi - Physiology Research Center, Institute of Neuropharmacology, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
Fatemeh Sadat Hasheminasab - Pharmacology Research Center, Zahedan University of Medical Sciences, Zahedan, Iran
Ehsan Amiri-Ardekani - Department of Phytopharmaceuticals (Traditional Pharmacy), Faculty of Pharmacy, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran ,Student Research Committee, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran ,Research Center for Traditional

Background: The novel coronavirus disease (COVID-۱۹), as a global concern, has affected different economic and social aspects, as well as health costs in various communities. Finding effective and available treatment is an urgent need. A recent study has demonstrated that the ketogenic diet (KD) activates innate immunity and has a protective property against virus infection. Accordingly, we conducted this study to find the effect of oral medium-chain triglyceride (MCT) on COVID-۱۹ and its clinical manifestations.Methods: This was a randomized clinical trial on ۱۹۵ patients clinically suspected of COVID-۱۹ referred to infectious disease clinics of Kerman. Patients were randomly assigned into two groups. The Control group received standard supportive treatment, the recommendation for carbohydrate avoiding and diet modification. Patients in the intervention group received all mentioned recommendations beside MCT oil. Patients` clinical symptoms, including body temperature, respiratory rate, body pain, and dyspnea, were recorded in a checklist and analyzed.Results: The mean age of patients was ۳۷.۷۸ ± ۱۲.۴۲ years in the intervention group and ۴۰.۸۱ ± ۱۳.۲۳ years in controls (P = ۰.۲۳۱). The patients in the intervention group had lower duration of weakness (P = ۰.۰۰۴), body pain (P = ۰.۰۰۴), dyspnea (P = ۰.۰۰۴), gastrointestinal manifestations (P<۰.۰۰۱), sore throat (P<۰.۰۰۱), increased respiratory rate (P<۰.۰۰۱), and high intensity of cough (P=۰.۰۰۲). Indeed, weakness, cough frequency, sore throat, and gastrointestinal complications were significantly lower in the females of the intervention group (P=۰.۰۰۶, P=۰.۰۳۰, P=۰.۰۰۵, and P=۰.۰۰۱, respectively). In contrast, in the males of the intervention group, manifestations such as respiratory rates, dyspnea, cough intensity, and sore throat were significantly lower than those in the control group. Conclusion: Administration of MCT in outpatients suspected of COVID-۱۹ alleviated clinical symptoms such as increased respiratory rate, cough intensity, dyspnea, body pain, and gastrointestinal symptoms and helps them overcome the probable disease morbidity.

Medium-chain triglyceride oil, COVID-۱۹, Pneumonia, Dyspnea, Iranian traditional medicine