Vitamin D Deficiency Can Be Cured

'It is our responsibility as physicians not to wait for perfect evidence when making life-and-death decisions,' stated Richard H. Carmona, M.D., MPH, the 17th Surgeon General of the USA, in a MedpageToday Op-Ed.

'Given the safety profile of vitamin D, the 40% prevalence of vitamin D deficiency in the U.S., and the fact that this season will likely be the deadliest phase of the COVID-19 pandemic, we need to act now. Identifying and eradicating vitamin D deficiency with early and aggressive supplementation has the potential to save thousands of lives and should be one of our highest public health priorities,' added Dr. Carmona, who is now a distinguished professor of public health and COVID-19 incident commander at the University of Arizona.

Previously, the UK's NICE guideline [NG187] published on December 17, 2020, stated 'Vitamin D is important for bone and muscle health and may have a role in the body's immune response to respiratory viruses. Sunlight exposure is the main source of vitamin D for most people in the UK during the summer months.'

'The panel also noted that it is important for some populations to take a supplement containing 10 micrograms of vitamin D daily throughout the year. This includes people who are at a higher risk of not getting enough vitamin D because, for example, of lack of exposure to sunlight during the spring and summer months.'

This UK guideline was developed with the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition and Public Health England using the interim process and methods for guidelines developed in response to health and social care emergencies.