Study confirms high doses of vitamin D have no effect on COVID-19.

• Researchers have wondered whether vitamin D may help people avoid SARS-CoV-2 infections and mitigate the effects of COVID-19.
• A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial seeks to test vitamin D’s usefulness in combatting the disease.
• The study finds high doses of vitamin D have no effect on key COVID-19 outcomes in particularly ill hospitalized patients.
• Further research is needed to investigate whether a deficiency of vitamin D is associated with more severe cases of COVID-19.

There have been numerous investigations into a possible role for vitamin D in preventing both SARS-CoV-2 infections and COVID-19 complications.

These studies have drawn conflicting conclusions. Now, a study from researchers in Brazil provides a more robust answer to at least one key question: can vitamin D help prevent COVID-19 complications in particularly ill hospitalized patients? According to the results, the answer appears to be no.

The study found that high doses of vitamin D administered to hospital patients with moderate or severe COVID-19 did not affect the course of the disease.

“In vitro studies or trials with animals had previously shown that in certain situations, vitamin D and its metabolites could have anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial effects, as well as modulating the immune response,” explains Rosa Pereira, principal investigator for the study.

“We decided to investigate whether a high dose of the substance could have a protective effect in the context of an acute viral infection, reducing either the inflammation or the viral load.”

Based on the study’s results, says Pereira, “So far, we can say there’s no indication to administer vitamin D to patients who come to the hospital with severe COVID-19.”