A study by King’s College, in collaboration with Guy’s and St Thomas’s NHS Foundation Trust and the University of South Australia, has found a connection between low levels of vitamin D and an increased risk of Covid-related hospitalization. The research aimed to determine if vitamin D deficiency could impact the likelihood of contracting Covid and the severity of the illness once infected.
Results published in PLOS One showed that individuals with insufficient vitamin D in their blood were more prone to being hospitalized with COVID-19. However, low vitamin D levels did not raise the chances of initially contracting the virus. This study, based on health data from over 150,000 UK Biobank participants, adds to the existing evidence suggesting that adequate vitamin D levels could reduce the severity of illnesses like Covid.
Professor Sophia Karagiannis, a co-author of the study and a Professor of Translational Cancer Immunology and Immunotherapy at King’s College London, emphasized the significance of vitamin D in supporting a healthy immune system to combat infections. The professor highlighted the need for further research in larger and more diverse populations worldwide to explore the role of vitamin D in fighting infections.
Future steps may involve investigating whether increasing vitamin D levels through dietary adjustments, supplementation, and controlled sun exposure could potentially mitigate the severe effects of Covid-19. While vitamin D supplements are available for purchase, experts caution that it’s unclear whether these supplements alone can reduce the severity of Covid. More studies are necessary to determine if improving vitamin D status could offer protection against severe outcomes.
The study underscores the potential importance of vitamin D in immune health and its impact on Covid-19 severity, calling for continued research to explore potential interventions to address the risks associated with vitamin D deficiency.