NEW DELHI: There is no clinical evidence to show that low levels of vitamin D cause severe symptoms of COVID-19, but there is a definite link between “sun vitamin” and immune responses to the disease, experts say while the pandemic is spreading around the world and concerns are growing about a new mutant strain.
Highlighting that vitamin D is economical and has negligible risk compared to the considerable risk of COVID-19, global researchers on the disease have called on governments to integrate it into their strategy against the new coronavirus.
Many factors, such as age, manhood, and comorbidities, are known to predispose individuals to an increased risk of exposure to SARS-CoV-2, but inadequate vitamin D is by far the most important factor. risk more easily and quickly modifiable, with abundant evidence supporting a great benefit. effect, said Professor Afrozul Haq, former dean of the School of Interdisciplinary Science and Technology (SIST) at Jamia Hamdard University in New Delhi.
He is one of 170 experts who wrote an open letter about it earlier this month.
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In a letter posted on the website vitamindforall.org, calling for a widespread increase in vitamin D intake, it is said that “research shows that low levels of vitamin D almost certainly favor infections, hospitalizations and deaths from COVID -19 “.
“This campaign group of vitamin D and COVID-19 researchers, myself included, began the process of writing this letter with the purpose of publicizing all the benefits of vitamin D supplementation in COVID-infected patients. -19 and send this letter to all health. ministries, health workers, government bodies and NGOs, ”Haq told PTI.
According to the letter, which had 171 signatories on Wednesday, evidence suggests the possibility that the COVID-19 pandemic will be maintained largely through the infection of people with low vitamin D and deaths are largely concentrated in the people with disabilities.
“The mere possibility that this should be the case should force the urgent collection of more vitamin D data. Even without more data, the preponderance of evidence indicates that an increase in vitamin D would help reduce infections, hospitalizations, ICU admissions and deaths, ”he said.
As the debate on the issue intensified, immunologist Vineeta Bal added a note of skepticism, noting that most experts are in developed countries where daily vitamin D supplementation may be feasible, practical and affordable.
“But this is not the case in India. Vitamin D deficiency is extremely common in India. Periodic supplementation is not part of the standard recommendations, not even for pregnant women, ”she told PTI Bal, a visiting professor at the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research in Pune.
“If individuals are very deficient, supplementation as recommended in the chart is likely to take weeks or months to reach the desired levels of vitamin D in the serum,” he said.
The scientist added that this cannot be considered an emergency measure, when the country lacks manpower and facilities even for the vaccine program.
In his view, vitamin D supplementation should be a long-term non-emergency measure that may be useful in the COVID-19 scenario as well.
“Not only vitamin D, other vitamins and micronutrients like zinc have also shown beneficial effects,” he explained.
According to Professor Srijit Mishra, another signatory to the letter, the recommendation is the intake of vitamin D for adults of up to 4,000 international units (IU) or 100 micrograms (mcg) daily. Those at increased risk of deficiency due to overweight, dark skin or living in nursing homes may need a higher intake.
“Current evidence suggests that serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels exceed 30 nanograms per milliliter (ng / ml), a test to measure vitamin D levels is a guaranteed minimum to reduce the risk of COVID-19,” he said. said Mishra, of the Indira Gandhi Institute in Bombay. Research Development Agency (IGIDR), told PTI.
Bal said vitamin D is known to have many beneficial contributions to immune responses and added, “As far as I know, there are no reports, where there are radical improvements resulting from vitamin D supplementation in normal people.”
In his judgment, vitamin D may have an additional role to play along with other medications, but not a major role. The relationship between vitamin D and better immune competence exists based on experimental data, and patient data are almost invariably associative and do not demonstrate a cause-and-effect relationship, he said.
Although no clinical trials have proven the effectiveness of vitamin D as a treatment or preventative measure, several studies have found an association between low levels of vitamin D and COVID-19.
However, a review of five of these studies by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) in the UK concludes that the studies provide no evidence that vitamin D levels influence the risk of contracting COVID-19 or die as a result.
“There is no evidence to support taking vitamin D supplements to specifically prevent or treat COVID-19,” the study authors wrote.
Mishra also noted that evidence to date on risk factors for COVID-19 with low vitamin D levels is associated, with some studies noting that low vitamin levels had a higher risk in infection rates. and positivity.
He said a communication from the UK-based World Center for Nutrition and Health NNEdPro has presented a 10-point summary on diet, nutrition and the role of micronutrients in combating COVID-19.
“The note identifies the relevance of several micronutrients, including vitamin D. However, as the wording of NNEdPro makes clear, this nutrition advice should not be a substitute for key medical and public health advice. in terms of prevention, ”Mishra said.