A new study suggests that individuals with vitamin D deficiency are more prone to develop a severe or critical case of COVID-19.

Investigators in Israel assessed vitamin D levels in over 250 patients hospitalized at the Galilee Medical Center with a positive COVID-19 test from April 2020 through February 2021. The vitamin D levels were obtained from tests conducted prior to hospitalization, as part of routine examination or for vitamin D deficiency, ranging between 14 and 730 days before the positive COVID test. Patients with vitamin D deficiency were found to have a 14-fold higher likelihood of having a severe or critical case of COVID-19. Additionally, the mortality rate for those with insufficient vitamin D levels was 25.6%, while it was 2.3% among individuals with adequate vitamin D levels.

The results are published in the journal PLOS ONE… (Medscape)