Researchers discovered that people who have a vitamin D deficiency are more likely to develop severe COVID-19.
A retrospective study was published in PLOS ONE by Galilee Medical Center in Israel and Bar Ilan University in Israel. They reviewed records from over 1,176 patients admitted to Galilee Medical Center Nahariya. They found positive PCR (polymerase chain reaction) tests for SAR–CoV-2 in the records.
To classify the people, we used their vitamin D levels. They could be classified as adequate, normal, high, normal, inadequate, insufficient, or adequate. The severity of COVID-19 diseases was also considered. This was done by multivariable regression analysis.
The team reviewed the records of over 250 patients who had taken vitamin A before being infected by COVID-19. The team found that patients with vitamin D deficiencies were 14x more likely to have been infected by severe or serious COVID-19.
Patients with sufficient vitamin D had a 2.3% mortality rate compared to those with low levels.
A study found that patients suffering from severe or critical illnesses had lower levels of vitamin D than those suffering from milder or more moderate diseases.
These differences are still evident when they are adjusted for gender, season, and history of chronic diseases.
Bar Ilan University claims the study is the first that examines vitamin D levels prior to infection. These infections were based on MedRxiv results.
“Our findings indicate that it is advisable to maintain normal levels of vitamin D,” Dr. Amiel Do, Galilee’s leading researcher and Azrieli Faculty of Medicine at Bar-Ilan University, said in a statement. It is recommended that vitamin D supplementation be performed on a regular schedule, as recommended by both international and local health organizations.
Professor Michael Edelstein, Azrieli Faculty of Medicine at Bar-Ilan University, stated that this study “contributes to an ever-evolving corpus of evidence suggesting that a patient’s history of vitamin deficiency is a predictor factor associated with poorer COVID-19 course and mortality. Our new research has made it more difficult to understand why certain people are affected by severe COVID-19 infection.
This study was done using research that was conducted before coronavirus vaccinations became widely available. The Times of Israel was also informed by doctors that vitamins supplements were not intended to replace vaccines, but rather to increase immunity.
Dror told the publication that, although the study was conducted before the surge of omicron variants in the market, the coronavirus did not significantly differ between the variants. This does not negate vitamin D effectiveness.
The Times reported vitamin D supplements were recommended in many countries by health officials during the pandemic.
According to the Cleveland Clinic, vitamin D is essential for bone strength, calcium absorption and coordination with the parathyroid glands. It can cause falls in the elderly and some types of cancer.