Recommendations for High Vitamin D Supplementation to help Fight the COVID-19 Pandemic and its Inclusion in National COVID-19 Management Guidelines

Jugal Kishore; David S Grimes; David C Anderson; Omesh Kumar Bharti; Blessy Joseph; Glory Ghai; Monika Sahoo

Jugal Kishore Director Professor & Head, Department of Community Medicine, VMMC & SJH, New Delhi, India
David S Grimes Retired Consultant Physician, East Lancashire
David C Anderson Retired Consultant Physician and Clinical Endocrinologist and former Professor of Medicine and Endocrinology, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK, and The Chinese University of Hong Kong
Omesh Kumar Bharti State Epidemiologist from Shimla, Himachal Pradesh, India
Blessy Joseph Senior Resident, Department of Community Medicine, VMMC & SJH, New Delhi, India
Glory Ghai Resident, Department of Community Medicine, VMMC & SJH, New Delhi, India
Monika Sahoo Senior Resident, Department of Obstetrics &Gynaecology, VMMC & SJH, New Delhi, India

Keywords: Vitamin D, COVID-19, National COVID-19 Management Guidelines

Abstract

Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin, formed in the skin under the action of UVB light and is known as sunshine vitamin with immunomodulatory as well as classical endocrine actions in calcium control. It has a role in both innate and adaptive immune responses. Intracellular synthesis of 1,25(OH)D in immunocytes promotes the production of cathelicidin and human b -defensin-2 which are â€¦..antimicrobial peptides produced by neutrophils, macrophages, and epithelial cells that facilitate the killing of the pathogenic encapsulated viruses. Vitamin D also plays a role in inhibiting pro-inflammatory cytokines and activating anti-inflammatory cytokines. It provides antiviral immunity by promoting autophagy. Epidemiological studies have shown an association between low vitamin D levels and a variety of respiratory tract infections, both bacterial and viral. Global data correlates severe vitamin D deficiency with COVID-19 due to similar pathological processes being involved.

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