Adequate Vitamin D Cuts SARS-CoV-2 Infection Rate by Half , and Reduces Hospitalizations and Deaths Significantly - Review of clinical studies

A large retrospective study found that people with lower vitamin D levels in their blood had a significantly higher risk of testing positive for SARS-CoV-2. (1)

An Israeli study found that those with a vitamin D level above 30 ng/mL (75 nmol/L) had a 59% lower risk of testing positive for SARS-CoV-2 compared to those with a vitamin D level between 20 ng/mL and 29 ng/mL , and a 58% lower risk compared to those with a vitamin D level below 20 ng/mL. (2)   The study also found that having a vitamin D level below 30 ng/mL about doubled the risk of being hospitalized with COVID-19. Vitamin D, when administered to hospitalized patients, can also lower their risk of needing intensive care.  Likewise, A Spanish study found hospitalized COVID-19 patients who were given supplemental calcifediol (a vitamin D3 analog) in addition to standard of care — which included the use of hydroxychloroquine and azithromycin — had significantly lower intensive care unit admissions. (3). Several o ther studies have also confirmed that higher vitamin D levels lowers your risk of complications and death from COVID-19. Among them is an August 2020 study 17 , 18  published in the journal Nutrients, which found patients who had a vitamin D level below 12 ng/mL had a 6.1 times higher risk of severe disease requiring invasive mechanical ventilation, and a 14.7 times higher risk of death compared to those with a vitamin D level above 12 ng/mL. (4) Yet another study, published in the Journal of Endocrinological Investigation in August 2020, found vitamin D deficiency was a common factor among hospitalized patients in Italy who had been diagnosed with COVID-19 related respiratory failure.  (5) Th ere wa s a 10 times higher risk of death among patients with severe vitamin D deficiency compared to patients with vitamin D levels >10 ng/ ml at 10 days of hospitalization."

“Altogether, these considerations support the recommendation that people at risk of influenza and/or COVID-19 consider vitamin D supplementation to raise their 25(OH)D concentrations above 40-60 ng/mL, and that treatment of patients infected with influenza and/or COVID-19 includes higher vitamin D doses .”

References:

1. SARS-CoV-2 positivity rates associated with circulating 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels , Plos One, Sept 17, 2020, M.F. Hollick et al, https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0239252%20 & https://www.grassrootshealth.net/blog/new-study-shows-53-lower-covid-19-positivity-rate-among-higher-vitamin-d-levels/

2. Low plasma 25(OH) vitamin D level is associated with increased risk of COVID‐19 infection: an Israeli population‐based study , The FEBS Journal, 23 July 2020, Eugene Merzon et al. https://febs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/febs.15495 & https://www.grassrootshealth.net/blog/vitamin-d-level-30-ng-ml-75-nmol-l-independent-risk-factor-covid-19/

 

3. “Effect of calcifediol treatment and best available therapy versus best available therapy on intensive care unit admission and mortality among patients hospitalized for COVID-19: A pilot randomized clinical study” MartaEntrenas Castillo et al, The Journal of Steroid Biochemistry and Molecular Biology August 29, 2020 , https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0960076020302764 & https://www.grassrootshealth.net/blog/vitamin-d-treatment-covid-19-patients-nearly-erased-need-icu-admission/

 

4. Vitamin D Deficiency and Outcome of COVID-19 Patients ,   A R adujkovic , Nutrients   202012 (9), 2757;  https://doi.org/10.3390/nu12092757 & https://www.grassrootshealth.net/blog/15-fold-higher-risk-death-due-covid-19-vitamin-d/

5. Vitamin D Sufficiency Reduced Risk for Morbidity and Mortality in COVID-19 Patients , Z Maughbooli et al, https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3616008%20 & https://www.grassrootshealth.net/blog/higher-vitamin-d-status-associated-better-clinical-outcomes-patients-hospitalized-covid-19/