By vgreene, 9 April, 2020 Resp tract infxn. ↓acute resp tract infxn (ARTI) seen w/ daily/weekly vit D3 or D2 supplementation (not w/ bolus doses); strongest protective effect in vit D-deficient pts, per meta-analysis (25 RCTs, N=10,933, ages 0-95 yo).11 Smaller meta-analysis
By vgreene, 9 April, 2020 Mild COVID-19 tx trial. Vit D 25,000 IU PO x1 w/ toast + olive oil (for absorption) in pts 40-70 yo w/ non-severe COVID-19 sx, RCT in Spain9
By vgreene, 9 April, 2020 Cytokine storm debate. Some suggest vit D may ↓cytokine storm immune up-regulation linked to severe COVID-19;4 others suggest vit D could exacerbate it, if taken after sx onset8
By vgreene, 9 April, 2020 Megadoses (eg, 150,000 IU D3 qd x3 days) to prevent/tx COVID-19 promoted by some media influencers,7 based on vit D use as immune-booster, anti-inflammatory for ↓“inflamm-aging”4
By vgreene, 9 April, 2020 Hypotheses: ↑D deficiency prevalence in pts w/ factors assoc w/ ↑COVID risk—older, obesity, smoker, lung dz4—as well as winter, ↓sun, dark skin, certain latitudes, poor diet;5 vit D’s role in immunity;5 non-COVID resp infxn studies6
By vgreene, 9 April, 2020 Vit D proposed for fighting COVID-19, providing protection for vulnerable pts, per former CDC Dir. Tom Frieden via Twitter,2 news3
By vgreene, 9 April, 2020 There’s no scientific evidence that vit D or any alternative remedy is effective for COVID-19 prevention/tx1
