Vitamin D status and COVID-19 severity
Kalichuran et al.,
Vitamin D status and COVID-19 severity,
Southern African Journal of Infectious Diseases, doi:10.4102/sajid.v37i1.359
Prospective study of 100 COVID-19 patients in South Africa, 50 with COVID-19 pneumonia and 50 asymptomatic, showing higher risk of symptomatic COVID-19 with lower exposure to sunlight, and with vitamin D deficiency. Sunlight exposure may be correlated with physical activity and may have additional benefits independent of vitamin D
[sciencedirect.com].
risk of symptomatic case, 58.2% lower, RR 0.42, p = 0.004, higher sunlight exposure 21, lower sunlight exposure 79, inverted to make RR<1 favor higher sunlight exposure, higher sunlight exposure vs. lower sunlight exposure.
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Kalichuran et al., 26 Apr 2022, prospective, South Africa, peer-reviewed, survey, 4 authors, study period September 2020 - February 2021.
Abstract: Southern African Journal of Infectious Diseases
ISSN: (Online) 2313-1810, (Print) 2312-0053
Page 1 of 6
Original Research
Vitamin D status and COVID-19 severity
Authors:
Senrina Kalichuran1
Sarah A. van Blydenstein1,2
Michelle Venter1,3
Shahed Omar4,5
Affiliations:
1
Department of Internal
Medicine, Faculty of Health
Sciences, School of Clinical
Medicine, University of the
Witwatersrand,
Johannesburg, South Africa
Department of
Pulmonology, Faculty of
Internal Medicine, Chris Hani
Baragwanath
Academic Hospital,
Johannesburg, South Africa
2
Department of Infectious
Diseases, Chris Hani
Baragwanath
Academic Hospital,
Johannesburg, South Africa
3
Department of Critical Care,
Faculty of Health Sciences,
University of the
Witwatersrand,
Johannesburg, South Africa
4
Department of Critical Care,
Chris Hani Baragwanath
Academic Hospital,
Johannesburg, South Africa
5
Corresponding author:
Senrina Kalichuran,
senrina.kalichuran@gmail.
com
Dates:
Received: 25 Oct. 2021
Accepted: 04 Mar. 2022
Published: 26 Apr. 2022
How to cite this article:
Kalichuran S, van Blydenstein
SA, Venter M, Omar S.
Vitamin D status and
COVID-19 severity. S Afr J
Infect Dis. 2022;37(1), a359.
https://doi.org/10.4102/
sajid.v37i1.359
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Background: Age, body mass index (BMI) and pre-existing comorbidities are known
risk factors of severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). In this study we explore the
relationship between vitamin D status and COVID-19 severity.
Methods: We conducted a prospective, cross-sectional descriptive study. We enrolled 100
COVID-19 positive patients admitted to a tertiary level hospital in Johannesburg, South Africa.
Fifty had symptomatic disease (COVID-19 pneumonia) and 50 who were asymptomatic
(incidental diagnosis). Following written informed consent, patients were interviewed
regarding age, gender and sunlight exposure during the past week, disease severity, BMI,
calcium, albumin, magnesium and alkaline phosphatase levels. Finally, blood was collected
for vitamin D measurement.
Results: We found an 82% prevalence rate of vitamin D deficiency or insufficiency among
COVID-19 patients. Vitamin D levels were lower in the symptomatic group (18.1 ng/mL ±
8.1 ng/mL) than the asymptomatic group (25.9 ng/mL ± 7.1 ng/mL) with a p-value of 0.000.
The relative risk of symptomatic COVID-19 was 2.5-fold higher among vitamin D deficient
patients than vitamin D non-deficient patients (confidence interval [CI]: 1.14–3.26). Additional
predictors of symptomatic disease were older age, hypocalcaemia and hypoalbuminaemia.
Using multiple regression, the only independent predictors of COVID-19 severity were age
and vitamin D levels. The patients exposed to less sunlight had a 2.39-fold increased risk for
symptomatic disease compared to those with more sunlight exposure (CI: 1.32–4.33).
Conclusion: We found a high prevalence of vitamin D deficiency and insufficiency among
patients admitted to hospital with COVID-19 and an increased risk for symptomatic disease in
vitamin D deficient patients.
Keywords: vitamin D; COVID-19; severity; Johannesburg; South Africa.
kalichuran
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