Essential for the proper functioning of the body, vitamin D is produced naturally by our body under the action of UVB radiation from the sun. It ensures good muscle functioning, it helps to maintain good bone health and helps fight against certain autoimmune and infectious diseases.
Problem: one in two people suffers from a vitamin D deficiency. This deficit is not without consequences, especially in the current context of the coronavirus epidemic. And for good reason: several studies, including research published in the journal Medicine in Drug Discovery, have shown that vitamin D deficiency is associated with an increased risk of mortality from Covid-19, since it plays a role in regulating the "cytokine storm".
Cytokines are molecules involved in the development and regulation of immune responses. The "cytokine thunderstorm" corresponds to an excessive production of cytokines, at the origin of a violent inflammatory response of the immune system, which can have repercussions on different organs.
Covid-19: recommended vitamin D supplementation
This is why the National Academy of Medicine (ANM) advises people with Covid-19 to supplement with vitamin D. "Vitamin D cannot be considered as a preventive or curative treatment for Sars-CoV-2 infection; but by mitigating the inflammatory storm and its consequences, it could be considered as an adjunct to any form of therapy", can we read in a press release.
To do this, it is necessary to know its vitamin D level, by performing a blood test. If this rate is higher than 30 ng / ml, there is no deficiency. When it is less than 30 ng / ml, the person is said to be insufficient and when it is less than 20 ng / ml, it is called a moderate to severe vitamin D deficiency. The National Academy of Medicine therefore recommends :
- to quickly measure the level of vitamin D in people over 60 years old with Covid-19, and to administer, in case of deficit, a loading dose of 50,000 to 100,000 IU which could help to limit respiratory complications ;
- provide vitamin D supplementation of 800 to 1000 IU / day in people under the age of 60 as soon as the diagnosis of Covid-19 is confirmed.
Read also :
⋙ Covid-19: does vitamin D protect against severe forms of the disease?
⋙ Containment: ANSES advice to fill up on vitamin D without leaving your home
⋙ Coronavirus symptoms, incubation, contagion, treatments: everything you need to know about Covid-19