Kirsty Mckenzie
VITAMIN D reduces coronavirus deaths by 60%, a study in Spain has suggested.
As parts of the country continues following lockdown measures – which includes strict curfews and travel restrictions – research has shown that a vitamin usually procured from natural sunlight could help boost Covid-19 survival rates.
Scientists from Hospital del Mar in Barcelona found that doses of Vitamin D given to COVID-19 patients ‘reduced mortality of more than 60 per cent’. They also found that patients treated with the vitamin were also 80%, less likely to require ICU treatment.
The research, published by the Social Science Research Network evaluated the effectiveness of calcifediol – a Vitamin D3 – on more than 550 people.
Those who took part in the trial were randomly assigned as either recipient of the calcifediol treatment or as controls on admission.
Although the paper is still in the preliminary stages and awaiting peer review, results showed 36 of the 551 patients treated with calcifediol died from COVID-19, compared to 57 patients out of 379 in the control group.
Researchers found only five per cent of the calcifediol group were admitted to the critical care units.
Scientists wrote: ”Adjusted results showed a reduced mortality of more than 60 per cent for people who received the treatment.
“We have observed that, in hospitalised COVID-19 patients, treatment with calcifediol reduced the requirement for critical care by more than 80%.
“This supports the conclusion of a prior pilot trial in Cordoba in which calcifediol treatment lead to a reduction of more than 50% of ICU admission in hospitalised COVID-19 patients.’
The study has resulted in calls for hospitals to start using Vitamin D ‘immediately’ to treat COVID-19 patients.
Former Brexit Secretary, MP David Davis, said the findings from the Spanish hospital are part of a ‘very important study’ and could ‘save many thousands of lives.’
He said: “Since the study demonstrates that the clear relationship between vitamin D and COVID mortality is causal, the UK government should increase the dose and availability of free vitamin D to all the vulnerable groups.
“These approaches will save many thousands of lives. They are overdue and should be started immediately.”
