During the COVID pandemic, many experts theorized that boosting the immune system through simple methods such as the use of vitamins, can help fight the coronavirus. Even the White House COVID adviser Anthony Fauci, MD, suggested using certain supplements to boost your immune system amidst the pandemic. But a new study has found that one highly rated vitamin may not protect you from severe COVID as many had hoped. Read on to find out which vitamin fits ineffectively against a severe case of the virus, and look for one way to stay safe from COVID, why inhaling your severe COVID risk can reduce it by 90 percent.
A new study from Brazil, published on February 17 in the Journal of the American Medical Association dismissed the idea that vitamin D would make a big difference for COVID patients. The researchers reviewed the cases of 240 COVID patients admitted to the hospital who had not yet received ventilation or ICU treatment. They received a single dose of vitamin D or a placebo between June 2 and August 27. After looking at the progress of their cases, the researchers found that the supplement had no significant effect on moderate to severe coronavirus cases.
Both those who received vitamin D, and those who did not report an average hospital stay of seven days, which means that the use of vitamin D as a treatment method for these patients does not appear to improve their disease. According to the study, there were also no significant differences between the groups regarding death, admission to the ICU or the need for a ventilator.
The clinical results of the study “do not support routine administration of vitamin D in patients with moderate to severe COVID-19 in the hospital”. David Leaf, Managing Director, and Adit Ginde, MD, wrote in a statement accompanying the study. And for more information on what you are at risk of having a serious case: If you had this common disease, you are more likely to die from COVID.
Although a single dose of vitamin D had no positive effect on the progression of COVID cases in the hospital, it also did not produce any adverse side effects. According to the study, no adverse events were reported after patients received a single high dose of vitamin D, only one case of vomiting.
In another study published in JAMA Network open On Feb. 12, researchers at the Cleveland Clinic found that COVID patients who took 10-day high doses of vitamin C reported gastrointestinal problems such as nausea, diarrhea and stomach cramps. And for more information on treatments that seem to work, check out these common medications that can reduce your risk of COVID death.
In the Cleveland Clinic study, 214 COVID patients recovered at home. Researchers assigned some of them to take randomly high doses of zinc, vitamin C or both supplements for ten days, while other patients were not instructed to take supplements, but rather to rest, hydrate and take medication that fever reduced. However, the researchers saw ‘no significant difference’ in reducing symptoms in those who took the supplements compared to those who did not. And subscribe to our daily newsletter for more up-to-date COVID news delivered directly to your inbox.
Although vitamin D may not be a suitable treatment for COVID, previous studies have concluded that vitamin D deficiency amid the pandemic may be harmful. A September study conducted in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that those with vitamin D deficiencies were 77 percent more likely to test COVID positively than those with adequate vitamin D levels. And a study published in October in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism found that 82.2 percent of the COVID patients admitted to the hospital had a vitamin D deficiency and had lower vitamin D levels than those not infected with the virus. And for another surprising factor that puts you at risk, look at If you did this recently, you’re probably more than 70 percent COVID.