Vitamin D May Keep COVID-19 Away

A new study published by the JAMA on September 3, 2020, provides the first assessment of the association of vitamin D deficiency and potentially insufficient treatment with testing positive for COVID-19. This multivariable analysis suggests that persons who are likely to have deficient vitamin D levels at the time of COVID-19 testing were at substantially higher risk of testing positive for COVID-19 than were persons who were likely to have sufficient levels.

These researchers stated 'Vitamin D modulates immune function through effects on dendritic cells and T cells,40 which may promote viral clearance and reduce inflammatory responses that produce symptoms.'

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However, since vitamin D deficiency may be increased by many factors that could be associated with COVID-19 risk, including age, obesity, diabetes, and chronic illness more generally, observed associations of vitamin D with outcomes in almost any observational study may fail to accurately reflect any potential causal effects of vitamin D on outcomes.

In summary, this study suggests 'randomized clinical trials are needed to determine whether broad population interventions and interventions among groups at increased risk of vitamin D deficiency and COVID-19 could reduce COVID-19 incidence.'