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Vitamin D supplementation for the prevention and treatment of Covid-19

During the Covid-19 pandemic, various treatments and management strategies are being examined to see if they can either help prevent Covid-19 or improve outcomes once people are infected. There are suggestions from some studies that Vitamin D could improve outcomes in people with Covid-19. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) recently assessed assess the role of Vitamin D in Covid-19.

In its evidence review, NICE concluded that there was currently insufficient evidence to recommend Vitamin D for the prevention and treatment of Covid-19. NICE did recommend, however, that people in the UK should follow government guidance on taking Vitamin D supplements; particularly people from groups at higher risk of Vitamin D deficiency.

The panel also conclude that there was a need for further research on Vitamin D supplementation for preventing and treating Covid-19. Larger prospective studies with sufficient power to look at key outcomes, and also to examine outcomes in subgroups such as the elderly and people from ethnic minorities, are needed.

The bottom line is therefore there is currently insufficient data to recommend Vitamin D supplements for the treatment of Covid-19 but irrespective of this, people should still consider taking Vitamin D supplements, particularly if they are in a high risk group for Vitamin D deficiency. We await the results of larger studies with more rigorous designs.

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