I hate to be harping on this, but yet another study is confirming that low levels of vitamin D make us more susceptible to COVID. A study out of Boston College in the US suggests that those with sufficient levels of the sunshine vitamin have a 52% less chance of dying from the virus than those who don’t.

The Daily Mail explains:

People who get enough vitamin D are at a 52 percent lower risk of dying of COVID-19 than people who are deficient for the ‘sunshine vitamin,’ new research reveals. 

Vitamin D plays a crucial role in the immune system and may combat inflammation. These features may make it a key player in the body’s fight against coronavirus. 

Rates of vitamin D deficiency are also higher in some of the same groups who have been hardest hit by coronavirus: people of color and  elderly people. It’s by no means a causal link, but suggests that vitamin D could play a role in who gets COVI-19, who gets sickest from it, and who is spared altogether.  

The Daily Mail also noted that the elderly and people of colour tend to have lower levels of vitamin D:

About 42 percent of Americans are vitamin D deficient, with higher rates among elderly Americans and people of color. Black, Hispanic and elderly people are also among the hardest hit by coronavirus 

READ: COVID-19 patients who get enough vitamin D are 52% less likely to die of the infection, study finds

Vitamin D is referred to as the sunshine vitamin as it’s naturally produced in our body from contact with sunshine. However, as we enter the colder winter months in the Northern Hemisphere, not only does the sun’s intensity weaken, but we are outside less often because of the cooler weather.

Maybe it is no coincidence, that fall and winter months are also traditionally known as the flu and cold season.

As the study suggests, a vitamin D deficiency may explain why seniors living in nursing homes are particularly vulnerable to COVID, because they are rarely outside, even in the summer months. As well, people with darker skin have more difficulty producing vitamin D from contact with the sun.

Here are a few more studies on vitamin D and COVID:

READ: Evidence that Vitamin D Supplementation Could Reduce Risk of Influenza and COVID-19 Infections and Deaths

READ: People with low levels of vitamin D may be more likely to catch coronavirus and die from COVID-19 infection, study suggests

READ: Vitamin D levels may impact COVID-19 mortality rates, study claims

READ: The Possible Role of Vitamin D in Suppressing Cytokine Storm and Associated Mortality in COVID-19 Patients

READ: Israeli Study Finds Low Vitamin D Level Linked to Increased COVID-19 Risk