COVID-19 and Vitamin D (42 studies, consensus)

Created October 2021

Vitamin D and COVID-19: An Overview of Recent Evidence

Review Int J Mol Sci. 2021 Sep 29;22(19):10559. doi: 10.3390/ijms221910559.

Drishti Ghelani 1, Simon Alesi 1, Aya Mousa 1

Monash Centre for Health Research and Implementation (MCHRI), Public Health and Preventive Medicine,

Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC 3168, Australia;

drishti.ghelani@monash.edu
simon.alesi@monash.edu
aya.mousa@monash.edu Correspondence

42 studies in Table 2 - see below 1. Consensus * Low Vitamin D is associated with poor COVID-19 Supplementation before infection can help (If enough is given) Controversial: supplementation will treat COVID-19 probably need a loading dose soon after infection** 1. Vitamin D meta-analyses for Virus {category} 1. COVID-19 treated by Vitamin D - studies, reports, videos * {include}

📄 Download the PDF from VitaminDWiki

The novel coronavirus severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS-CoV-2) has progressed rapidly from an outbreak to a global pandemic, with new variants rapidly emerging. Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), the disease resulting from SARS-CoV-2 infection, can lead to multiorgan damage. Due to the extremely contagious and fatal nature of the virus, it has been a priority of medical research to find effective means of treatment. Amid this search, the role of vitamin D in modulating various aspects of the innate and adaptive immune system has been discussed. This review aims to consolidate the research surrounding the role of vitamin D in the treatment and prevention of COVID-19.

While there are some conflicting results reported, the consensus is that vitamin D has a host of immunomodulatory effects which may be beneficial in the context of COVID-19 and that low levels of vitamin D can result in dysfunction of crucial antimicrobial effects, potentially contributing to poor prognosis.

Studies also show that the effects of low vitamin D can be mitigated via supplementation, although the benefits of vitamin D supplementation in the treatment of COVID-19 remain controversial.

Tags: Consensus Virus