The role of vitamin D in prevention OF COVID-19 and its severity: an umbrella review
Acta Biomed. 2021 Oct 1;92(S6):e2021451. doi: 10.23750/abm.v92iS6.12216.
Lory Marika Margarucci 1, Montanari Enrico 2, Gianluca GIanfranceschi 3, Claudio Caprara 4, Federica Valeriani 5, Antonio Piccolella 6, Valentina Lombardi 7, Elena Scaramucci 8, Vincenzo Romano Spica 9 Italy
Background and aim: Vitamin D is known to modulate immune response and its deficiency was associated with respiratory distress in patients hospitalized for pneumonia. Nevertheless, numerous reviews on vitamin D in COVID-19 patients have shown conflicting results, as previously reported also for other respiratory diseases (e.g., influenza).
Methods: This umbrella review aims to assess whether low serum 25-OHD is associated with susceptibility to COVID 19, their severity, and mortality. A total of 1559 studies were excluded after the title, abstract and full-text articles screening and 9 papers were included in this review: 2 systematic reviews and 7 metanalysis.
Results: The findings of this review that summarized studies from 5 WHO regions (European Region, Region of the Americas, South-East Asia Region, Eastern Mediterranean Region, Western Pacific Region) to exclusion only African region, show that low serum 25-OHD levels are associated with higher infection risks for COVID-19.
Conclusions: Although the umbrella findings indicate a potential role of vitamin D deficiency in COVID-19 severity in hospitalized patients and showing an association between Vitamin D supplementation and COVID-19 severity, however, more robust data from randomized controlled trials are further needed to confirm a possible association with the mortality rates.
References for the above table
- 29) Akbar MR, Wibowo A, Pranata R, Setiabudiawan B. Low Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (Vitamin D) Level Is Associated With Susceptibility to COVID-19, Severity, and Mortality: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Front Nutr 2021; 8, 660420.
- Bassatne A, Basbous M, Chakhtoura M, El Zein O, Rahme M, El-Hajj Fuleihan G. The link between COVID-19 and Vitamin D (VIVID): A systematic review and meta-analysis. Metabolism 2021; 119, 154753.
- Dramé M, Cofais C, Hentzien M, Proye E, Coulibaly PS, Demoustier-Tampère D, Destailleur MH, Lotin M, Can- tagrit E, Cebille A, Desprez A, Blondiau F, Kanagaratnam L, Godaert L. Relation between Vitamin D and COVID-19 in Aged People: A Systematic Review. Nutrients 2021; 13(4), 1339.
- Liu N, Sun J, Wang X, Zhang T, Zhao M, Li H. Low vitamin D status is associated with coronavirus disease 2019 outcomes: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Int J Infect Dis 2021; 104, 58-64.
- Pereira M, Dantas Damascena A, Galvao Azevedo LM, de Almeida Oliveira T, da Mota Santana J. Vitamin D deficiency aggravates COVID-19: systematic review and metaanalysis. Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr 2020; 4, 1-9.
- Petrelli F, Luciani A, Perego G, Dognini G, Colombelli PL, Ghidini A. Therapeutic and prognostic role of vitamin D for COVID-19 infection: A systematic review and metaanalysis of 43 observational studies. J Steroid Biochem Mol Biol 2021; 211, 105883.
- Shah K, Saxena D, Mavalankar D. Vitamin D supplementation, COVID-19 and disease severity: a meta-analysis. QJM 2021; 114(3), 175-181.
- Teshome A, Adane A, Girma B, Mekonnen ZA. The Impact of Vitamin D Level on COVID-19 Infection: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Front Public Health 2021; 9, 624559.
- 37) Yisak H, Ewunetei A, Kefale B, Mamuye M, Teshome F, Ambaw B, Yideg Yitbarek G. Effects of Vitamin D on COVID-19 Infection and Prognosis: A Systematic Review. Risk Manag Healthc Policy 2021; 14, 31-38.
 Download the PDF from VitaminDWiki
Umbrella fails to notice that
>50 ng is great
Loading dose quickly fights early COVID-19
- COVID-19 mortality extrapolates to zero at 50 ng of vitamin D – 18th Meta-analysis Sept 2021
- Vitamin D and COVID, review of evidence, loading dose if less than 50 ng - Masterjohn Sept 2021
- French recommended 200,000 IU of Vitamin D to stop COVID-19 - Jan 2021
Vitamin D meta-analyses for Virus
- COVID ICU use reduced by 42% if take more than 100,000 IU of vitamin D over two weeks – meta-analysis Sept 2024
- Vaccinations did not stop COVID (68 studies) – meta-analysis May 2023
- Influenza risk cut in half by the only trial giving enough vitamin D for body weight – meta-analysis Jan 2022
- Multiple Vitamin D doses reduced COVID ICU by 2.5 X , Mech. Ventilation by 5.5 X – meta-analysis May 2024
- COVID death rate in hospital halved if take any amount of vitamin D for any length of time – meta-analysis May 2024
- COVID and Vitamin D: 2X more likely to die if low, 2X more likely to survive if supplement – umbrella meta-analysis April 2024
- COVID fought by Vitamin D: 2.3X less likely to die of COVID if supplemented, 1.9 X less likely to become infected – meta-analysis March 2024
- COVID Vaccinations increased risk of cardiac deaths in youths by 19% - Aug 2023
- T1 Diabetes increased by 27% by second year of COVID – meta-analysis June 2023
- Yet another reason to take Vitamin D while pregnant – fight COVID - meta-analysis May 2023
- COVID death 1.5 X less likely if high vitamin D, emergency D (50K to 100K) is great – meta-analysis March 2023
- COVID ICU 3X less-likely if take any amount and type of Vitamin D – meta-analysis Jan 2023
- COVID and Vitamin D: any amount of D, at any time, for any duration reduced ICU - meta-analysis Dec 2022
- Worse COVID during 3Q pregnancy if 2.5 ng lower Vitamin D – meta-analysis Sept 2022
- Severe COVID 2.6 X less likely if supplement with Vitamin D – 26th meta-analysis - July 2022
- COVID Long-Haul prevalence increases with time: 50% at 4 months - meta June 2022
- COVID test positive is about half as likely if have Vitamin D – 24th meta-analysis - Jan 2022
- Small amounts of Vitamin D reduce Influenza risk by 22 percent (loading dose is far better) – meta-analysis Jan 2022
- Vitamin D fights COVID (54 studies of 1,400,000 people) – 23rd meta-analysis - Dec 2021
- COVID-19 treated by Vitamin D (reduce ICU by 3X) - 22nd meta-analysis - Dec 29, 2021
- COVID-19 death increased 2X if low Vitamin D (less than 10 to less than 30 ng) – 21st meta-analysis Dec 2021
- COVID-19 risk reduced by vitamin D supplementation – umbrella review of 7 meta-analysis – Oct 2021
- COVID-19 treated by Vitamin D (example: ICU reduced by 5X) – 20th meta-analysis Oct 13, 2021
- Severe COVID-19 2.5 X more likely if low vitamin D (23 studies) – 19th meta-analysis Oct 2021
- COVID-19 mortality extrapolates to zero at 50 ng of vitamin D – 18th Meta-analysis Sept 2021
- COVID-19 death 1.6 X more likely if low vitamin D (24 studies) – 17th meta-analysis Aug 2021
- Severe COVID-19 5X more likely if low vitamin D (23 studies) – 16th meta-analysis July 2021
- Severe COVID-19 3.5 more likely if low vitamin D (30 studies) – meta-analysis July 2021
- COVID-19 patients who had supplemented with Vitamin D were 3X less likely to enter ICU – June 2021
- Low Calcium associated with severe COVID-19 – several studies
- COVID-19 mortality 3X more likely if low vitamin D (999,179 people) – meta-analysis March 29, 2021
- COVID-19 was 2.6X more severe if very low Vitamin D (43 studies) – meta-analysis March 26, 2021
- Low Vitamin D associated with 2.7X more severe COVID-19 – 12th MA March 5, 2021
- Vitamin D supplementation fights COVID-19 – 11th meta-analysis Jan 24, 2021
- 3.7 X less likely to die of COVID-19 if supplemented with Vitamin D - meta-analysis Jan 5, 2021
- Less likely to test positive for COVID-19 if higher Vitamin D – meta-analysis Jan 6, 2021
- Vitamin D reduces COVID-19 by 80 percent - anonymous meta-analysis - Jan 5, 2021
- COVID-19 1.7X more likely to be severe if low Vitamin D - meta-analysis Oct 2020
- Low Vitamin D associated 1.8X increased risk of COVID-19 death in hospital – meta-analysis Nov 4, 2020
- Acute viral respiratory infections (RTI) reduced by Vitamin D - 20 reviews - Aug 2020
- Prudent to consider that Vitamin D has a role in COVID-19 – meta-analysis – Aug 7, 2020
- Risk of enveloped virus infection is increased 50 percent if poor Vitamin D Receptor - meta-analysis Dec 2018
- Hepatitis B patients have 2 ng lower level of Vitamin D – meta-analysis June 2019
- Influenza Vaccination not benefited by lowish levels of vitamin D – meta-analysis March 2018
COVID-19 treated by Vitamin D - studies, reports, videos
- As of March 31, 2024, the VitaminDWiki COVID page had: trial results, meta-analyses and reviews, Mortality studies see related: Governments, HealthProblems, Hospitals, Dark Skins, All 26 COVID risk factors are associated with low Vit D, Fight COVID-19 with 50K Vit D weekly Vaccines Take lots of Vitamin D at first signs of COVID 166 COVID Clinical Trials using Vitamin D (Aug 2023) Prevent a COVID death: 9 dollars of Vitamin D or 900,000 dollars of vaccine - Aug 2023
5 most-recently changed Virus entries