Lack of association between vitamin D insufficiency and clinical outcomes of patients with COVID-19 infection

BackgroundA protective effect of vitamin D against COVID-19 infection is under investigation. We aimed to analyze the effect of vitamin D sufficiency on the clinical outcomes of patients infected with COVID-19.MethodsIn this cross-sectional study we analyzed the vitamin D levels of COVID-19 patients who were admitted to Razi Hospital (an infectious disease referral center in Mazandaran province in northern Iran) from February to March 2020. Overall, a cutoff point of 30ng/mL was used for the definition of vitamin D sufficiency.ResultsOne hundred fifty-three patients were analyzed in this study who had laboratory documentation of a 25(OH) D level at the time of hospitalization. The vitamin D levels of the patients were 27.1920.17ng/mL. In total, 62.7% (n=96) of the patients had a 25(OH) D level of less than 30ng/mL and 37.25% (n=57) had a 25(OH) D level of more than 30ng/mL. In total, 49% (n=75) of the patients suffered from at least one underlying disease. The univariate and multivariable regression showed that vitamin D sufficiency was not associated with a statistically significant lower risk of adverse clinical outcomes of COVID-19 such as duration of hospitalization and severity of infection (P>0.05).Conclusions Sufficient vitamin D levels were not found to be protective against adverse clinical outcomes in patients infected with COVID-19. Chronic disorders in COVID-19 patients were found to have greater relevance than vitamin D levels in determining the adverse outcomes of the infection. Further studies are needed to determine the role of vitamin D level in predicting the outcomes of COVID-19 infection.

Automated summary

The study analyzed the vitamin D levels of COVID-19 patients and found that sufficient vitamin D levels did not have a protective effect on the clinical outcomes of patients. Chronic disorders in COVID-19 patients were found to have greater relevance than vitamin D levels in determining adverse outcomes. Additional studies are needed to determine the role of vitamin D levels in predicting COVID-19 outcomes.