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0 pointsls154y ago0 comments

https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11739-021-02902-w

> In this large observational population study, we show a significant association between vitamin D deficiency and the risks of SARS-CoV-2 infection and of severe disease in those infected.

There are many other studies that say the same.

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acdha4y ago· 1 in thread

Keep reading:

> Whether vitamin D plays a causal role in COVID-19 pathophysiology or just a marker of ill health is not known, and our results should be carefully interpreted, as patients positive for SARS-CoV-2 and with severe COVID-19 had a higher number of comorbidities.

> Further large randomized controlled trials are warranted to determine if vitamin D supplementation can decrease COVID-19 incidence and its severity.

Contrast that with vaccination, which has had large trials and been shown to be highly effective. Continuing to study Vitamin D is clearly a good idea — even if it does turn out just to be a symptom of other problems, that seems potentially useful for early intervention just like BMI — but it's nowhere near as settled a question and as a matter of practicality you have to consider the challenges of something which requires changing daily eating habits relative to periodic vaccination.

ls15OP4y ago

I mean yes, the large vaccine trials got all the attention and almost limitless resources, but what have they shown? I just recovered from symptomatic Omicron after being vaccinated and there is no way to tell if the vaccine did even play a role at all. Did it prevent severe disease? There is not much severe disease in my age group and for Omicron in the first place. Since the trials, the public narrative has shifted from herd immunity over reduce transmission to prevent hospitalizations. The current recommendation is to wear masks even when boostered. After all, the vaccines were developed for a strain that is no concern anymore.

For vitamin D on the other hand, we learned long ago that it is associated with better outcomes for infectious and other diseaseses in general and we have all these smaller studies that suggest an association between Covid and vitamin D - even though none of the can compete with the mega trials in terms of vastness of data. At the same time, we know that a large share of people in the Western world is vitamin D deficient. I don't want to move the goalpost too far, but what is a good justification for focussing so many resources on the vaccines and so little on other things that are clearly so promising?

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