Vitamin D deficiency raises COVID-19 infection risk by 77%, study finds

From UPI.com (Sept. 3):

Sept. 3 (UPI) -- Vitamin D deficiency increases a person's risk for catching COVID-19 by 77% compared to those with sufficient levels of the nutrient, a study published Thursday by JAMA Network Open found.

As many as one in four of the nearly 500 participants in the study were found to have less-than-optimal levels of vitamin D, the data showed.

Among those found to be lacking the key nutrient, 22% contracted COVID-19, the data showed.

Of the 60% of study subjects with adequate vitamin D levels, just 12% were infected, according to the researchers.

"There is prior evidence from multiple sources that vitamin D can enhance both innate and adaptive immunity," Dr. David O. Meltzer, a professor of medicine at the University of Chicago, told UPI.

Innate immunity refers to the body's natural immune system response. Adaptive immunity describes how the immune system adjusts to a new pathogen -- like a virus -- that is able to evade its natural response.

"Vitamin D also ... may prevent the excess inflammation that is part of the challenge in managing severe COVID-19," Meltzer said. [read more]