A new study shows that over 80% of hospitalised Covid patients had vitamin D deficiency

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I wonder if there’s a correlation between obesity and vitamin D here?

(ie more active people may be more likely to go outside)
 
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Well it is a Spanish study and I am unaware of an obesity problem in the country (and there is definitely no shortage of sunlight there)
 
Annie said:
And in Spain they were forbidden to go outside!
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Precisely, and at the weekend the ruling socialist party (PSOE) reintroduced a State of Emergency that is scheduled to run until May 2021 in which outside activity is seriously curtailed again, although subject to fortnightly review of conditions imposed.
 
That study was from northern Spain (Santander), March 10-March 31, which has “mild” winter weather not too dissimilar to Ireland, albeit likely with a bit more sun. …

From my research, the temps range 44.6F-60.3F…

It’s unlikely they’re sunbathing during that time of the year, or at least not frequently, and definitely not daily.

Also, it is noteworthy thaT the state of alarm (the first one, not the extension) began after the initial start of this study, so they had as much opportunity to have normal/typical initial Vitamin D levels as they typically would’ve in other years same time.

Dates extracted from posted paper and weather drawn from https://www.weather-es.com/en/spain/santander-climate#climate_text_3
 
I know Cantabria very well indeed as I spend a considerable amount of time there, particularly in the Summer and Autumn months and believe me, whilst the Atlantic is colder than the Med. sun bathing is de regueur. As an aside, here is a pic of the the Sardinero beach in Santander city itself:

(Please Note: This uploaded content is no longer available.)
 
There isn’t even regular sunbathing in the med beaches in March unless the weather goes beyond 70F. I’ve spent plenty of days walking the boardwalk of very sparse beaches in March and April.

Nobody is sunbathing when it is 44 and not many when it is 60. Those are avg highs and lows, meaning there will be outlier days, but not many, not enough to replace a lack of supplementation.

The pic you show can be for any warmer weather month. March isn’t that for that area.

Tripadvisor comment states it’s not warm in March there.

https://www.tripadvisor.ie/ShowTopi...rch_Good_idea_or_not-Santander_Cantabria.html

There’s a pretty big climate difference even between where I am and Madrid, and I suspect it would be much cooler that far north. But the link I offered shows that. Again, outliers aside, I can wear a coat comfortably in March on the Mediterranean beaches of Spain. This study was from far far north of where I am.
 
I don’t know Spain at all but Italy I know quite well and, to borrow from Noel Coward, it’s mad dogs and tourists who go out in the midday sun.
 
This is old news, I’m sad that the issue is only now getting some media attention. I started supplementing V-D in March. It doesn’t prevent catching the virus, but it may help reduce the severity of the infection.


Low plasma 25(OH) vitamin D level is associated with increased risk of
COVID-19 infection: an Israeli population-based study

 
Something to keep in mind is that here in the US around this time of year from Atlanta and further north it is no longer possible to make vitamin D from sun exposure. It will not be till around the end of March that the sun reaches high enough into the ski that vitamin D can be made by the body from sunlight exposure.

Around this time of year, middle of fall, i begin using a UV sunlamp a couple times a week. Since doing that I’ve been cold and flu free for over 10 years now.
 
Roselle said:
Something to keep in mind is that here in the US around this time of year from Atlanta and further north it is no longer possible to make vitamin D from sun exposure. It will not be till around the end of March that the sun reaches high enough into the ski that vitamin D can be made by the body from sunlight exposure.
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This is very interesting, as the southern part of Spain is along the same latitude as Washington DC.
 
Yeah, when I saw the mention in OPs article that 80% of Spanish COVID patients were deficient in vitamin D, I didn’t know what to make of it. I’ve seen mentions that most people are now vitamin D deficient. Most people stay indoors most of the day working. There is a study mentioning, if I remember it correctly, that 90% of those living in Miami in the winter are vitamin D deficient. In the summer only 80% are deficient.

I have my doubts that taking vitamin D capsules will be all that helpful against the virus. It doesn’t hurt to take though if within normal testing ranges. I consider vitamin D testing to be a measure of how much someone has been in the sun. There are other substances created in the body by sunlight exposure that have been found to strengthen the immune system against flu and cold infections.
 
Roselle said:
There is a study mentioning, if I remember it correctly, that 90% of those living in Miami in the winter are vitamin D deficient. In the summer only 80% are deficient
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if 80% of the general population is deficient and 80% of hospitalized covid patients, then there seems to be no effect from vitamin D, right?

unless vitamin D deficiency is lower in Spain, where the study was done?
 
Well, there are small studies that have found sun light or artificial sun light exposure does help prevent cold and flu bugs. That would include corona viruses I believe. That is why i began getting a little bit of sun light exposure year round and it’s worked for me. I’ve not had a cold or flu bug in over 10 years now since I began doing this.

With the mention in the article, most people are deficient in vitamin D from what I’ve read. Most people stay indoors most of the time, working and so on. So the way i looked at the article I thought, possibly there is something to it or possibly not. More information is needed.

My guess is that sunlight exposure resulting in higher testing vitamin D levels does help against the corona virus COVID. As far as I know though that can not be said with certainty.

I have seen articles that bring up CDC information showing that the death rate from the COVID virus has declined greatly since the month of May. April and May is when peoples vitamin D rates should begin to slow increase with the sun being higher in the sky. During the summer months people were still testing positive for the virus, but hospitalizations decreased along with mortality rates. With it now days away from Nov. and people’s vitamin D levels/ sun exposure levels decreasing naturally, possibly mortality and hospital rates will begin to increase once again from COVID. That is just a guess.
 
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