Vitamin D may help in the treatment of Coronavirus

NEW YORK Sept 30: Vitamin D, the ‘sunshine vitamin’ is known to help our bodily functions in a number of ways. This nutrient is said to help absorb calcium from the foods eaten, which further helps in strengthening our bones, muscles, teeth and even nails.

Apart from this, vitamin D plays a big role in maintaining our immune strength, which is of great importance right now in the wake of Coronavirus pandemic. If vitamin D helps to prevent COVID-19, it also helps in the treatment of affected patients – researchers from Boston study have claimed after a thorough research.

According to the study published in ‘Plos One’ journal, enough vitamin D content in the body may lessen the oxygen requirement in patients affected with Coronavirus. COVID-19 is a respiratory and systemic disorder caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome.

The researchers set out to investigate the association between serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels and its effect on adverse clinical outcomes, and parameters of immune function and mortality due to a SARS-CoV-2 infection.

A total number of 235 patients infected with COVID-19 were studied. 74% of the patients had severe COVID-19 infection and 32.8% were vitamin D sufficient. A significant association was seen between vitamin D sufficiency and reduction in clinical severity. 9.7% of patients older than 40 years who were vitamin D sufficient succumbed to the infection compared to 20% who had a circulating level of 25(OH)D< 30 ng/ml.

“Therefore, it is recommended that improving vitamin D status in the general population and in particular hospitalised patients has a potential benefit in reducing the severity of morbidities and mortality associated with acquiring COVID-19,” read the report.