60% of US states are reporting increases in new cases

[LeafByNiggle]

I will take your word for it on the sunshine (and I mean that, as I don’t track what effect sunlight has).

Don’t take my word for it. Trump himself touted the effect of sunshine a few months ago. I’ve got to give him credit for listening to his advisors that one time.

That would mean beaches and pools opening should be fine as well.

Not fine. The protests were not fine either. Just not as bad as indoors. But if I had to choose between going to the beach and going into a bar, I would take the beach.

 

[Dr_Meinheimer]

As would I.

 

[Joegrane]

I heard some weeks ago about a seemingly well documented case of an elderly woman in Asia who was reinfected. I think she died after surviving the first time. Sorry I don’t have a link in my notes. I assume they expect a few people with certain immune system problems to be vulnerable.

Chris Martenson, PhD reported about a newer study in Spain that is more encouraging in the area of development of antibodies after infection.

Yet we also have no verified cases of recovered people being reinfected, and we should have quite a number by now if there was this risk

Joegrane: Just eight weeks after recovery 13% of symptomatic patients and 40% of asymptomatic patients had NO detectable level of antibodies.

 

[Joegrane]

I will take your word for it on the sunshine (and I mean that, as I don’t track what effect sunlight has).

Sunlight is involved in our natural production of vitamin D. Maybe that is the connection.

There are some seemingly impressive results from some studies about vitamin D blood test levels and Covid severity.

I think this bar chart presents data from a study in the Philippines. I think the normal range for the test is roughly 25 to nearly 100ng/ml.

(Please Note: This uploaded content is no longer available.)

A Harvard prof comments about the issue a quarter of the way down the page here.

The following article presents data from other studies of vitamin D and Covid.

Vitamin D Deficiency Is Associated with COVID Severity, Mortality

Recently we cited literature showing that Vitamin D sufficiency reduced the risk of acute respiratory infections and the severity of infection by other viruses. Now, new studies in COVID-19 patients suggest Vitamin D sufficiency might reduce disease severity and death.

childrenshealthdefense.org

 

[LeafByNiggle]

Sunlight is involved in our natural production of vitamin D. Maybe that is the connection.

I’m pretty sure they said the effect was UV acting directly on the virus as it floats through the air.

 

[Dr_Meinheimer]

Thanks; now that you mention it, I recall having a Vitamin D discussion on here, as I already take large amounts (10000 IU) for other reasons.

 

[Joegrane]

Isn’t that one reason that they are so surprised about the Summer spike in Arizona, Texas and Florida.

If that theory was the primary factor I’d expect fewer cases down South in the Summer. Instead we have the spikes in cases there but lower deaths per case. For example

Cases Up, Deaths Down; What’s Going On With COVID-19 in Texas? Stats from the Texas medical association.

Cases Up, Deaths Down; What’s Going On With COVID-19 in Texas?

The situation down South seems more consistent with the vitamin D studies, no? Higher vitamin D results in less severe cases, not a reduction in cases.

I’m pretty sure they said the effect was UV acting directly on the virus as it floats through the air

 

[Zzyzx_Road]

Vitamin D is not a prophylactic, properly speaking. By itself, it won’t keep one from getting Covid-19. But it should ameliorate the worst effects through it helping the immune system. Which is one way among others to have a lower death rate with more cases.

Blacks in the US appear to have higher infection and death rates than other ethnics. But blacks in Africa don’t seem to be affected as much. That may have led some to allege racism in Covid-19 treatment of American blacks. Perhaps the difference is that the obesity and diabetes rates among blacks are much higher in the US. But another factor may be the difficulty that blacks have getting vitamin D from sunlight due to their melanin. Since American blacks mostly live far more north of the equator than African blacks, it’s likely that American blacks are more deficient in vitamin D than African blacks. This topic could stand to be explored more, but of course there is no money in it.

I am not a doctor, but it appears that since sunlight and vitamin D show up in nearly every article about how to boost one’s immune system, I don’t think there is any harm to some vitamin D supplement. I do know one can ask their provider to add a vitamin D test to the usual blood test panel taken at one’s yearly physical. Do your own due diligence.

 

[LeafByNiggle]

The situation down South seems more consistent with the vitamin D studies, no? Higher vitamin D results in less severe cases, not a reduction in cases.

This is what happens when every Internet blogger tries to play amateur epidemiologist.

The fact is most vitamin D comes from diet and only a small amount from sunshine.

 

[Montrose]

The fact is most vitamin D comes from diet and only a small amount from sunshine.

My googling seems to suggest it is the other way round.
It would appear 90% comes from the sun and only 10% from diet.

 

[LeafByNiggle]

LeafByNiggle:

The fact is most vitamin D comes from diet and only a small amount from sunshine.

My googling seems to suggest it is the other way round.
It would appear 90% comes from the sun and only 10% from diet.

But there are people who get very little sun but are able to get their vitamin D from diet too. And since it only takes 15 minutes of exposure in the sun, people in the Minneapolis are just as able to get the vitamin D they need as people in Phoenix. But as for explaining the lower death rates, there is a much more reasonable explanation than vitamin D. It is the result of two things: One is the treatment protocols have improved with more knowledge, and the other is that the age group now accounting for most of the new infections is the young who are more able to survive (although they too get liver damage, lung damage, brain damage, etc. because this virus is a vascular disease, not simply a respiratory disease.)

 

[MikeInVA]

But there are people who get very little sun but are able to get their vitamin D from diet too.

Most of us take vitamin supplements to raise our vitamin D levels. Diet alone (unless you’re on some kind of high vitamin D diet) isn’t enough.

 

[Joegrane]

Fellow members, please notice that LeafByNiggle did not provide any references for the very strong–and highly dubious–statements made in the context of a discussion of COVID-19 cases.

The fact is most vitamin D comes from diet and only a small amount from sunshine.

That might be true for an Eskimo eating their ancient diet in Alaska. For the remainder of us, I suggest that you refer to reputable sources of information.

…since it only takes 15 minutes of exposure in the sun, people in the Minneapolis are just as able to get the vitamin D they need as people in Phoenix

Please check out reputable sources of information on the issue of sun exposure. It is far more complex than the irresponsible statement by LeafByNiggle.

This is from Oregon State U. on sources of exposure.

You may see strange statements about vitamin D because the statements are based on a presumption that a relatively low daily intake of vitamin D is adequate for some conditions. However there is debate about what amount is adequate for other medical conditions.

A relatively low amount of vitamin D may be adequate to avoid serious bone-related conditions but won’t be close to enough to result in >30ng/ml on a blood test in a dark-skinned person living in Boston during the middle of the flu season.

Notice the difference between >30ng/ml and <20ng/ml for COVID-19 severity from a study done in SE Asia.

“, the most dramatic finding was that patients with Vitamin D insufficiency (between 20 and 30 ng/ml) were 12.55 times more likely to die and patients with Vitamin D deficiency (<20ng/ml) were 19.12 times more likely to die from the disease than patients with sufficient Vitamin D.”

Vitamin D Deficiency Is Associated with COVID Severity, Mortality

Recently we cited literature showing that Vitamin D sufficiency reduced the risk of acute respiratory infections and the severity of infection by other viruses. Now, new studies in COVID-19 patients suggest Vitamin D sufficiency might reduce disease severity and death.

childrenshealthdefense.org

I’m fairly sure the following graphed data is from the same study from SE Asia.
(Please Note: This uploaded content is no longer available.)

Notice that the Chief of Preventative Medicine at Harvard Medical School mentions 1000-2000 IU of vitamin D in the context of COVID-19 in this article by Dr Mercola.

This article by Dr Mercola provides additional vitamin D related information, including a short statement by Dr Fauci.

New England Journal of Medicine review concludes vitamin D deficiency is common yet preventable

I suggest that you pay attention to quality sources of information.

 

[Joegrane]

Joegrane:

Children’s Health Defense – 12 May 20

Learn how to research your sources:

The article at ChildrensHealthDefense.org was referenced. They were presenting data from various studies. It was easier for me to provide the link to their article than to provide the links to the actual studies, for example

Vitamin D Supplementation Could Possibly Improve Clinical Outcomes of Patients Infected with Coronavirus-2019
Mark Alipio, Davao Doctors College; University of Southeastern Philippines
https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3571484

You could have added this article at Inside the Vatican from Robert Kennedy Jr–the President’s nephew–who is a lawyer with a history of focusing on environmental concerns.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr., On Coming COVID Vaccines - Inside The Vatican

 

[LeafByNiggle]

It was easier for me to provide the link to their article than to provide the links to the actual studies

And you get the benefit of their biased synthesis of those articles. No thanks.

links to the actual studies, for example

Vitamin D Supplementation Could Possibly Improve Clinical Outcomes of Patients Infected with Coronavirus-2019 (COVID-19) 9 Apr 2020 Last revised: 10 Jul 2020
Mark Alipio, Davao Doctors College; University of Southeastern Philippines
SSRN Electronic Library

It does not say what “Childrens Health Defense” says. Plus it is not a peer-reviewed paper. But mostly it just doesn’t make the point as forcefully as you hoped. Also it notes a correlation, but not a causation. For example, it could be that covid-19 itself, in serious cases, destroys the 25-hydroxyvitamin D rather than the other way around.

But getting back to the supposed connection between covid-19 and people getting sunshine on their skin, try to find some correlation in this map:

Tracking Covid-19’s global spread

Since December 2019, the disease has spread to every continent and case numbers continue to rise

www.cnn.com

 

[Joegrane]

@ LeafByNiggle. I’ll stick to the studies that I previously posted and the big 2019 analysis study below of over 10,000 people with respiratory infections. I’ll pass on your hypothesis and other strange and/or unsubstantiated statements.

Vitamin D supplementation to prevent acute respiratory infections: individual participant data meta-analysis - PubMed

The National Institute for Health Research Health Technology Assessment programme.

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Excerpts:

Vitamin D supplementation reduced the risk of ARI [respiratory infection] among all participants …

Vitamin D supplementation was safe, and it protected against ARIs overall. Very deficient individuals and those not receiving bolus doses experienced the benefit.

The map you linked to does not provide information on severity of cases. It does not provide information on the season of the year–Summer vs Winter. It does not provide information about the number of dark-skinned people whose ancestors lived near the equator who are now living far from the equator in places such as Seattle or Boston. So it is a bogus point.

Christians are obliged to care for our gift of life. So it is normal for us to want to avoid being deficient in nutrients that are necessary for life.

The link in the studies between insufficient vitamin D and more severe COVID-19 outcomes just provides more motivation to take good care of our gift of life.

 

[Theo520]

The situation down South seems more consistent with the vitamin D studies, no? Higher vitamin D results in less severe cases, not a reduction in cases.

I think increased UV and Vit D intake have a modest positive impact but have been overwhelmed by other behavioral changes, like people going to bars and parties, enclosed spaces where it really spreads among the young.

 

[Jeanne_S]

This in a nutshell. Chalk it up to youthful naïveté thinking they are impervious to this virus. At any rate they overwhelmingly aren’t as affected as other age groups. Let them out build herd immunity,somewhat

 

[PaulinVA]

I’m fairly sure the following graphed data is from the same study from SE Asia.
(Please Note: This uploaded content is no longer available.)

Correlation or causation:

(Please Note: This uploaded content is no longer available.)

 

[WingedHussar]

So riddle me this. Tear gas particles are significantly bigger than Wuhan virus particles and you need a gas mask to avoid breathing them in. Mind telling me how a cloth mask provides anything other than a false sense of security?