A recent research conducted by a team in Triniy Collage, Dublin, Ireland shows a possible involvement of Vitamin D levels of Covid 19 patients towards low mortality rates. The team had done this study using Vitamin D data available online about the European countries affected by COVID 19 and the Covid 19 mortality rates of those countries as reported by WHO.
The study, done by Dr Eamon Laird and Professor Rose Anne Kenny, School of Medicine, and the Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing (TILDA), in collaboration with Professor Jon Rhodes at University of Liverpool was published in volume 113 of the Irish Medical Journal.
During last few weeks several research articles came out highlighting the importance of Vitamin D in increasing the effectiveness of immunological response of the body against viral diseases like Covid 19. This particular research highlights few such research studies including one research which shows lower vitamin D were associated with higher respiratory infection rates where the effect was more pronounced in those with underlying lung conditions. And also, this study shows the impact of vitamin D deficiency on cytokine response which in turn cause lung injury paving the way to increased mortality rates in a Covid 19 like infection.
Vitamin D is considered one of the most important vitamins that help the body to maintain the Calcium and Phosphorus levels by increasing the intake of these components through the intestine. Unlike other vitamins Vitamin D is synthesized in our skin when exposed to UVB rays from the sunlight. So as tropical countries, we have good Vitamin D levels in our bodies. So we should look in to this relationship scientifically and see if this is the reason for lower mortality rates in Sri Lanka and other South Asian Countries due to COvid 19.
