Vitamin D Deficiency Linked With Increased COVID-19 Severity and Mortality

[Anianna]

https://scitechdaily.com/vitamin-d-deficiency-linked-with-increased-covid-19-severity-and-mortality/

Link to the study at the bottom of the article.

If you believe you may be deficient or if you are not getting out in the sun much, a vitamin D supplement can help ensure that you are not susceptible.  While hypervitaminosis D (vitamin D toxicity) is a thing, you would have to take about 100 times the U.S. Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) of vitamin D supplement daily over a period of time to actually suffer it, so adding a daily supplement at the RDA of 600 IU would be safe if you're not sure if you have a deficiency but don't spend a lot of time in the sun. 

It is recommended that you not take above the RDA of 600 IU without direction from and monitoring by a doctor. 

[EBuff75]

https://scitechdaily.com/vitamin-d-deficiency-linked-with-increased-covid-19-severity-and-mortality/

Link to the study at the bottom of the article.

If you believe you may be deficient or if you are not getting out in the sun much, a vitamin D supplement can help ensure that you are not susceptible.  While hypervitaminosis D (vitamin D toxicity) is a thing, you would have to take about 100 times the U.S. Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) of vitamin D supplement daily over a period of time to actually suffer it, so adding a daily supplement at the RDA of 600 IU would be safe if you're not sure if you have a deficiency but don't spend a lot of time in the sun. 

It is recommended that you not take above the RDA of 600 IU without direction from and monitoring by a doctor.

If you're in a northern state (like me in Michigan) then this is sort of a seasonal issue that affects most of the population!  Even if you are someone who spends time outside, it's not like you have any exposed skin to pick up the sunlight.  Everything is hidden under coats, gloves, hats, and mufflers/balaclavas!

I'm actually officially diagnosed as being deficient, so I take a 2000 IU daily pill, per doc's orders!

[Anianna]

Oh, yea.  There was a cardiovascular study done in Boston that showed as many as 2/3rds of young adults suffer vitamin D insufficiency at the end of the winter. 

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22112344/


I have also been diagnosed deficient.  I avoid sun exposure as much as possible on doctor's orders due to albinism (not albino, clinically albinism is a different but related condition).  My doc has me on 5000 IU daily.


There also exists a relationship between obesity and vitamin D deficiency, but it's unclear if either causes the other.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31466220/


Anybody with darker skin and the elderly are also at higher risk of deficiency. 

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21310306/


This is a pretty thorough discussion about vitamin D and some of the ailments related to deficiency:

https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/vitamind-healthprofessional/