Vitamin D and COVID-19 infection; recent findings

Abstract

COVID-19 infection increases the risk of death in patients with chronic conditions such as diabetes or obesity. The exact role of vitamin D in COVID-19 infection is unknown and controversial. Furthermore, the exact prevalence of vitamin D deficiency is still unknown but it affects individuals worldwide regardless of ethnicity and age. Herein, we give an overview of vitamin D deficiency as a global public health problem, the role of vitamin D in COVID-19 infection, and the proper approach to treating vitamin D deficiency.

The Interaction of Vitamin D and Corticosteroids: A Mortality Analysis of 26,508 Veterans Who Tested Positive for SARS-CoV-2

“…Considerable discordance exists regarding the effectiveness of Vit D in the treatment of COVID-19, with some reports suggesting a beneficial effect [ 15 , 16 , 17 , 28 , 29 , 31 , 41 , 45 , 53 , 84 , 85 , 86 , 87 , 88 , 89 , 90 , 91 , 92 , 93 , 94 , 95 , 96 , 97 , 98 , 99 , 100 , 101 , 102 , 103 , 104 , 105 , 106 ] and others no change [ 26 , 27 , 30 , 32 , 33 , 34 , 35 , 36 , 37 , 44 , 107 , 108 , 109 ]. The reasons for these disparate findings are likely complex and multifactorial, with varying doses, duration, and timing of Vit D administration along with patient populations and sample sizes all playing roles [ 110 ]. Differences in the criteria for defining the severity of COVID-19 may also explain, in part, the ambiguity of study results [ 111 ].…”