Rev Med Virol . Vitamin D and Covid-19: From potential therapeutic effects to unanswered questions

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Rev Med Virol


. 2020 Aug 28;e2159.
doi: 10.1002/rmv.2159. Online ahead of print.
Vitamin D and Covid-19: From potential therapeutic effects to unanswered questions


Majid Teymoori-Rad ¹ , Sayed Mahdi Marashi ¹



Affiliations

• PMID: 32856339
• DOI: 10.1002/rmv.2159

Abstract

Evidence suggests that vitamin D supplementation could potentially be effective either in treatment or prevention of coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19). Indeed, several studies and trials have begun to investigate the impact of vitamin D supplementation on patients with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection. In this review, we focus on the potential mechanisms of vitamin D in the pathogenesis of Covid-19. We consider whether deficiency of vitamin D may be one of the underlying biological factors that could explain the excess mortality seen among non-Caucasians. We also raise several important questions which need to be addressed to provide a clear picture of the extent to which vitamin D supplementation may benefit patients with Covid-19, particularly those with underlying risk factors.

Keywords: COVID-19; Vitamin D; immune response.