Vitamin D and COVID-19 - Let's Explore the Relationship!

Vitamin D plays a protective role against COVID-19. Patients with deficiency of vitamin D are more prone to severe SARS-CoV-2 infections. It is known to enhance human β-defensin 2 and antimicrobial peptide. Vitamin D can easily stabilise and manage immunological reactions against SARS-CoV-2. It can also suppress the cytokine storm by boosting the innate system. RT-PCR confirmed COVID-19 positive subjects were divided into two groups, one comprising asymptomatic subjects (Group 1) and the other one ICU admitted patients (Group 2). In both groups, various comorbidities such as obesity, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, cardiovascular disease, respiratory disease, renal disease and malignancy were taken into consideration. Vitamin D estimation was performed along with serum levels of interleukin-6 (IL-6) and ferritin using automated immunoassays on Siemens Advia Centaur XP. On acknowledging the cut-off serum concentration level of vitamin D as < 30 ng/mL for establishing vitamin D deficiency the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency was 66.18% in Group 1 and 98.30% in Group 2. Diabetes mellitus, followed by hypertension was associated comorbidity in both groups. In total, 33 patients were found to be severely deficient (<10 ng/mL) in vitamin D, out of which 27 were critically ill and six asymptomatic. In both groups, diabetes mellitus, followed by hypertension were the highest comorbid associations. Fatality rate (discharge vs fatality) was 0% in Group 1 and 16.94% (10 patients died) in Group 2. To conclude, the present study addressed the significant relationship between vitamin D levels and clinical outcomes of COVID-19 patients. Vitamin D deficiency distinctly upswings the chance of disease severity as well as mortality after SARS-CoV-2 infection.