Vitamin D deficiency increased risk of COVID in healthcare workers, new UK study shows.

[2greys]

Healthcare workers who self-isolated after developing symptoms of COVID-19 were more likely to have a vitamin D deficiency, with workers from Black, Asian or ethnic minority backgrounds particularly affected, a new study by experts at the University of Birmingham has found.

The study, an extension of previous work to establish convalescent immunity in NHS staff at University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust, analysed blood samples from 392 healthcare workers recruited in May 2020 towards the end of the first surge of the COVID-19 pandemic. Samples were first tested for the presence of SARS-Cov-2 antibodies using a unique in-house assay developed by the University’s Clinical Immunology Service in partnership with The Binding Site before undergoing testing to establish the concentration of vitamin D

Of the 392 workers, over half (55%) had SARS-Cov-2 antibodies, showing that they had been infected with the virus. A total of 61 (or 15.6%) were deficient in vitamin-D with significantly more of these staff coming from from BAME backgrounds or in junior doctor roles. Vitamin D levels were lower in younger and male staff, and those who had a high BMI.

birmingham.ac.uk/news/lates...

medRxiv:

medrxiv.org/content/10.1101...

[2greys]

Confirmation for Dr. John Cambell.

[Badbessie]

Very interesting both in the number showing antibodies and in relation to vitamin D. That junior doctors have low vitamin D comes as no surprise they work long hours and really miss out on sunshine. It would be interesting to find out the shift patterns of the nurses who were low in vitamin D. I and a number of nurses I know worked a greater percentage of nights for various reasons such as child care etc and that must play a role in deficiency.

[2greys in reply to Badbessie]

Now that a British institution has released it's findings, it is time for our Secretary of Health to take his head out of the sand bucket and crack on with doing something constructive about it. It is his remit to save lives after all.

[Badbessie in reply to 2greys]

Definitely. The evidence is there and vitamin D is cheap.