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Vitamin D for influenza
Can Fam Physicianv.61(6): 507; 2015 Jun Vitamin D for influenza Gerry Schwalfenberg, MD CCFP FCFP

PMC4463890 PMCID: PMC4463890 PMID: 26071153 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26071153/

I thank Dr Korownyk and colleagues for their interesting review on the neuraminidase inhibitors.1 Having spent some time looking at the reviews on these drugs myself, I agree that they are not very useful and the risk of causing harm is greater than the purported benefit. I no longer use them in my patients. Unfortunately, they are administered facility-wide in nursing homes as a public health measure when there is a reported outbreak of influenzalike illness or influenza. Working in long-term care settings, I have seen some of these patients and staff develop vomiting; some with serious diarrhea (also a known side effect); some with acute confusion, hallucinations, or delirium; and a number with worsening cognitive function. Having patients develop vomiting and diarrhea makes it difficult to know if there is a secondary outbreak in the facility of gastroenteritis. These side effects cause increased work for staff when this happens and are unpleasant for both staff and patients. I would suggest that these medications should no longer be stockpiled or used. This would result in tremendous savings in health care dollars.

On the other hand, it is well known that there is a seasonality to influenza that correlates well with the seasonal drop in vitamin D or 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25[OH]D) levels.2 Levels of 25(OH)D are quite low in nursing home residents, and supplementation with 2000 IU of vitamin D can bring levels to normal safely in most patients.3 The use of vitamin D as a prophylactic for influenza has shown promise in prevention of illness and reduction of secondary asthma in children.4 In this study there was benefit for influenza A but not influenza B or the common cold. The mechanism of how vitamin D works for influenza A has been described in the literature.5 Interestingly, the 25(OH)D levels identified in the recent Canadian Household Study have shown a drop in the average vitamin D level in Canadians over the past 5 years from about 67.7 nmol/L to 64 nmol/L, with one-third of those surveyed having levels below 50 nmol/L. Levels in the wintertime were considerably lower and would put the Canadian population at risk of a number of medical conditions.

'''The Institute of Medicine recommendation for adults younger than 70 years of age is 600 IU of vitamin D daily. We are told that this would achieve a level of 50 nmol/L in greater than 97.5% of individuals.6 Regrettably, a statistical error has resulted in erroneous recommendations by the Institute of Medicine leading to this conclusion and it might actually take 8800 IU of vitamin D to achieve this level in 97.5% of the population.7 This is a serious public health blunder.'''

'''A colleague of mine and I have introduced vitamin D at doses that have achieved greater than 100 nmol/L in most of our patients for the past number of years, and we now see very few patients in our clinics with the flu or influenzalike illness. In those patients who do have influenza, we have treated them with the vitamin D hammer, as coined by my colleague. This is a 1-time 50 000 IU dose of vitamin D3 or 10 000 IU 3 times daily for 2 to 3 days. The results are dramatic, with complete resolution of symptoms in 48 to 72 hours. One-time doses of vitamin D at this level have been used safely and have never been shown to be toxic.8 We urgently need a study of this intervention. The cost of vitamin D is about a penny for 1000 IU, so this treatment costs less than a dollar.'''

All things point to this article being the source of the term Vitamin-D Hammer. While this is a viable treatment mode for those with acute need of Vitamin-D it is NOT AN OPTIMAL supplementation strategy. Benefits are higher when Vitamin-D3 is provided prophylactically on a daily basis to achieve personalised natural physiological blood serum levels of circulating 25(OH)D3 such as we find in outdoor living tribes folk in tropical climates. These levels are in the range of 100-200 nmol/l (40-80ng/ml) and around double of what most public health organisations recommend. (KMP)

Comparison between Vitamn D Level of Asymptomatic Confirmed Covid-19 Patients with Symptomatic Confirmed Covid-19 Patients in Makassar
Annals of R.S.C.B., ISSN:1583-6258, Vol. 25, Issue 6, 2021, Pages. 17680 - 17688 Comparison between Vitamn D Level of Asymptomatic Confirmed Covid-19 Patients with Symptomatic Confirmed Covid-19 Patients in Makassar Eka Savitri, Indra Irawan, Nova A.L. Pieter, Abdul Qadar Punagi, Nani Djufri

ISSN:1583-6258 https://www.annalsofrscb.ro/index.php/journal/article/view/9130

Abstract: Vitamin D shows an important role in immune function. However, there is still little analysis regarding the role of vitamin D in preventing infection and death from COVID-19. This research aimed to determine vitamin D levels in patients with confirmed COVID-19. A cross-sectional study was conducted. Researcher collected blood from the median cubital vein of COVID-19 patients and examined the vitamin D levels in patients using the ELISA method. This research showed a comparison of serum vitamin D based on clinical manifestations of COVID-19 patients in all subjects. In 20 patients with symptomatic COVID-19 clinical manifestations there were 17 patients (85 %) with vitamin D deficiency, 3 patients (15 %) with vitamin D insufficiency; To the contrary, there were no asymptomatic COVID-19 patients with vitamin D deficiency, 18 patients with vitamin D insufficiency, and 4 patients with normal vitamin D levels. '''There was a significant relationship between the clinical manifestations of patients with COVID-19 and the patient's serum vitamin D levels where asymptomatic patients had higher levels than that of symptomatic patients (p-value with the Chi-square test was 0.000 with p <0.001). In addition, there was a significant difference between vitamin D levels in asymptomatic and symptomatic patients where serum vitamin D levels were obtained to be higher in the asymptomatic patient group than in the symptomatic group.'''

5. Conclusion and Suggestion: Researchers concluded that there was a significant difference between levels vitamin D of asymptomatic and symptomatic patients where serum vitamin D levels were obtained to be higher in the asymptomatic patients than that of in the symptomatic group. Researchers suggest that research be carried out further analysis regarding the confounding factors such as daily consumption of vitamin D from food and supplementation, behavior or daily activities of COVID-19 patients which can cause deficiency of serum vitamin D levels. Further researches with many samples to determine the cut-off point of Vitamin D level for each symptom level of Covid-19. To find out the clinical development of COVID-19 patients, it is expected that checking vitamin D levels is a routine check for every patient diagnosed with COVID-19.

Magnesium and Vitamin D Deficiency as a Potential Cause of Immune Dysfunction, Cytokine Storm and Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation in covid-19 patients
Mo Med. Jan-Feb 2021;118(1):68-73. Magnesium and Vitamin D Deficiency as a Potential Cause of Immune Dysfunction, Cytokine Storm and Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation in covid-19 patients James J DiNicolantonio, James H O'Keefe

PMID: 33551489 PMCID: PMC7861592 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7861592/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7861592/pdf/ms118_p0068.pdf

Abstract: Magnesium and vitamin D each have the possibility of affecting the immune system and consequently the cytokine storm and coagulation cascade in COVID-19 infections. Vitamin D is important for reducing the risk of upper respiratory tract infections and plays a role in pulmonary epithelial health. While the importance of vitamin D for a healthy immune system has been known for decades, the benefits of magnesium has only recently been elucidated. Indeed, magnesium is important for activating vitamin D and has a protective role against oxidative stress. Magnesium deficiency increases endothelial cell susceptibility to oxidative stress, promotes endothelial dysfunction, reduces fibrinolysis and increases coagulation. Furthermore, magnesium deficient animals and humans have depressed immune responses, which, when supplemented with magnesium, a partial or near full reversal of the immunodeficiency occurs. Moreover, intracellular free magnesium levels in natural killer cells and CD8 killer T cells regulates their cytotoxicity. Considering that magnesium and vitamin D are important for immune function and cellular resilience, a deficiency in either may contribute to cytokine storm in the novel coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) infection.

Dr Alex Vasquez 2004 Vitamin D monograph
THE CLINICAL IMPORTANCE OF VITAMIN D(CHOLECALCIFEROL): A PARADIGM SHIFT WITH IMPLICATIONS FOR ALL HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS

Dr Alex Vasquez 2004 Vitamin D monograph

https://www.inflammationmastery.com/art1 https://5206f8e7-0993-46b0-b221-a76f5b848276.filesusr.com/ugd/93e00d_a23c86e5862244f4b16585c569bf840a.pdf

Based on our review of the literature, we propose that the optimal — "sufficient and safe "— range for 25(OH)D correlates with serum levels of 40–65 ng/mL (100–160 nmol/L).

....

In Finland from the mid-1950s until 1964, the recommended daily intake of vitamin D for infants was 4,000–5,000 IU, a dose that was proven safe and was associated with significant protection from type 1 diabetes. More recently, in a study involving more than 10,000 infants and children, daily administration of 2,000 IU per day was safe and effective for reducing the incidence of type 1diabetes by 80%.

....

Until proven otherwise, the balance of the research clearly indicates that oral supplementation in the range of 1,000 IU/day for infants, 2,000 IU/day for children, and 4,000 IU/day for adults is safe and reasonable to meet physiologic requirements, to promote optimal health,  and  to  reduce  the  risk  of  several  serious  diseases. Safety and effectiveness of supplementation are assured by periodic monitoring of serum 25(OH)D and serum calcium.

Vitamin D crucial to activating immune defenses
University of Copenhagen. ScienceDaily, 8 March 2010. Vitamin D crucial to activating immune defenses

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/03/100307215534.htm https://www.nature.com/articles/ni.1851

For the research team, identifying the role of vitamin D in the activation of T cells has been a major breakthrough. "Scientists have known for a long time that vitamin D is important for calcium absorption and the vitamin has also been implicated in diseases such as cancer and multiple sclerosis, but what we didn't realize is how crucial vitamin D is for actually activating the immune system -- which we know now. "

http://enformtk.u-aizu.ac.jp/mailer/to_uoa/infection-measures.html

I am not alone in my opinion, which you may dismiss as quirky and unqualified. Thousands of scientists worldwide are fighting this misinformation, which is resulting in a human medical experiment on a scale we have not witnessed in our lives before.

These include Nobel prize winner Michael Levitt of Stanford University, Luc Montagnier the Nobel laureate virologist from France. These include professors from prestigious universities all around the world such as Martin Kulldorff, Jay Bhattacharya, and John Ioannidis of Stanford University, Carl Heneghan, Tom Jefferson, and Sunetra Gupta of Oxford University, and Sucharit Bhakdi and Karin Moelling from Germany.

Medical Articles by Dr. Ray
Collection of health news, health articles and useful medical information you can use in everyday life. Jul 25 2020 autoimmune disease, diet, fish oil, food, immune system, Infectious Disease, lifestyle, omega-3 fatty acids, vaccinations, Vitamins and supplements The Immune System Changes With Age Ray Schilling

https://www.askdrray.com/the-immune-system-changes-with-age/

Vitamin D: The immune system is very dependent on vitamin D as the immune cells all contain vitamin D receptors. People who have less than 10 ng/mL of vitamin D in the blood are vitamin D deficient. They have much higher death rates when they get infected with the Covid-19 coronavirus.

Vitamin D regulates the expression of target genes. At the center is the vitamin D receptor, which is a nuclear transcription factor. Together with the retinoic X receptor (from vitamin A) the vitamin D receptor binds small sequences of DNA. They have the name “vitamin D response elements” and are capable of initiating a cascade of molecular interactions. The result is a modulation of specific genes. Researchers identified thousands of vitamin D response elements that regulate between 100 and 1250 genes. You need enough vitamin D for your immune system

When enough vitamin D is present in the blood (more than 30 ng/mL) the immune system releases the peptides cathelicidins and defensins, which effectively destroy bacteria and viruses.

Vitamin D has mainly an inhibitory function regarding adaptive immunity. It inhibits antibody production from B cells and also dampens the effect of T cells. Researchers reported that vitamin D3 is useful in the treatment of autoimmune diseases.

I am a slow absorber of vitamin D3 as repeat blood vitamin D levels showed. I need 10,000 IU of vitamin D3 daily to get a blood level of 50-80 ng/mL (=125-200 nmol/L). This is the higher range of normal. Everybody is different. Ask your physician to check your blood level of vitamin D. Toxic vitamin D blood levels are only starting above 150 ng/mL (= 375 nmol/L).

Deutsche Telekom - You like to empty the mailbox!
https://www.facebook.com/deutschetelekom/posts/10159037928203555

Da leert man den Briefkasten doch gerne!📬 Diese Woche gab es ein Überraschungspaket von unserer Personalvorständin Birgit Bohle. Neben netten und motivierenden Worten gab es auch ein wenig Sonnenschein für das Homeoffice ☀️ Wir folgen ihrer Inspiration gerne – und werden das Wochenende nutzen, um an der frischen Luft etwas Sonne zu tanken! 😊 Wie sehen eure Pläne aus? Und, ganz wichtig: Bleibt alle gesund!

You like to empty the mailbox! This week there was a surprise package from our staff chairman Birgit Bohle. In addition to nice and motivating words, there was also a little sunshine for the home office ☀️ We love to follow her inspiration - and will use the weekend to soak up some sunshine in the fresh air! 😊 What are your plans? And, very importantly, stay healthy everyone!

Nice Picture

It's a pity the paper reports Diagnostic cut-offs of levels of serum Vitamin D without comment. We have known since 2012 that vitamin d3 inhibits the production of proinflammatory cytokines at 25(OH)D levels ABOVE 30ng/ml and is best able to inhibit inflammation at 50ng/ml "while significant inhibition of LPS-induced p38 phosphorylation was achieved with 30 ng/ml and higher of 25(OH)D3. Maximum inhibition was achieved with 50 ng/ml of 25(OH)D3 [a mean inhibition of 78%. from "Vitamin D Inhibits Monocyte/macrophage Pro-inflammatory Cytokine Production by Targeting Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase Phosphatase 1"    https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3368346/ Cholecalciferol enables a signalling modality and has a half-life in that form in serum for just 24 hrs. So DAILY CHOLECALCIFEROL supplementation is required and if we want OPTIMAL INHIBITION of proinflammatory cytokines so head off a cytokines storm optimally we need a good signal and those with 25(OH)D Levels 50ng/ml or above have the most cholecalciferol in serum. Hollis 2007 Circulating vitamin D3 and 25-hydroxyvitamin D in humans: An important tool to define adequate nutritional vitamin D status https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1868557/ Look at figure 2 https://i.imgur.com/E8m4F1z.png In a cytokine storm the difference between have some inhibition of inflammation and having optimal inhibition of inflammation could the death. I simply don't understand why anyone should regard 30ng/ml 75nmol/l when it costs so little to have optimal inhibition and optimal natural amounts of choleclaferol in serum daily by maintaining a NATURAL 25(OH)D level of 50ng/ml 125nmol/l. We also knew back in 2007 "No toxicity was observed at levels below 200 ng/ml, and no toxicity was observed in studies reporting a daily vitamin D intake below 30,000 IU." Risk assessment for vitamin D   https://academic.oup.com/ajcn/article/85/1/6/4649294

It is a pity vitamin d researchers don't appear to have read much if any vitamin d research.

WHO Deletes Naturally Acquired Immunity from Its Website
American Institute for Economic Research WHO Deletes Naturally Acquired Immunity from Its Website Jeffrey A. Tucker – December 23, 2020

Coronavirus lived on surfaces until it didn’t. Masks didn’t work until they did, then they did not. There is asymptomatic transmission, except there isn’t. Lockdowns work to control the virus except they do not. All these people are sick without symptoms until, whoops, PCR tests are wildly inaccurate because they were never intended to be diagnostic tools. Everyone is in danger of the virus except they aren’t. It spreads in schools except it doesn’t.

On it goes. Daily. It’s no wonder that so many people have stopped believing anything that “public health authorities” say. In combination with governors and other autocrats doing their bidding, they set out to take away freedom and human rights and expected us to thank them for saving our lives. At some point this year (for me it was March 12) life began feeling like a dystopian novel of your choice.

Well, now I have another piece of evidence to add to the mile-high pile of fishy mess. The World Health Organization, for reasons unknown, has suddenly changed its definition of a core conception of immunology: herd immunity. Its discovery was one of the major achievements of 20th century science, gradually emerging in the 1920s and then becoming ever more refined throughout the 20th century.

....

In effect, this change at WHO ignores and even wipes out 100 years of medical advances in virology, immunology, and epidemiology. It is thoroughly unscientific – shilling for the vaccine industry in exactly the way the conspiracy theorists say that WHO has been doing since the beginning of this pandemic.

https://www.aier.org/article/who-deletes-naturally-acquired-immunity-from-its-website/

PMCID: PMC1898525
Proc R Soc Med 1965 May;58(5):295-300. THE ENVIRONMENT AND DISEASE: ASSOCIATION OR CAUSATION? Sir Austin Bradford Hill

PMID: 14283879 PMCID: PMC1898525 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/14283879/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1898525/pdf/procrsmed00196-0010.pdf

Already a long time ago it was clear that not everything in medicine was amenable to a Randomised Controlled Trial (RCT) or even in need of one. In some situations it is prudent to invoke Occam's razor as a means to determine if there is a causal relationship to disease from environmental conditions. :-) (KMP)

Does vitamin D combat Covid?
The Observer Health & wellbeing Sun 10 Jan 2021 11.00 GMT Does vitamin D combat Covid? Mattha Busby

https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2021/jan/10/does-vitamin-d-combat-covid

'''It’s cheap, widely available and might help us fend off the virus. So should we all be dosing up on the sunshine nutrient?'''

....

Writing in the Lancet in August, he said: "It would seem uncontroversial to enthusiastically promote efforts to achieve reference nutrient intakes of vitamin D… There is nothing to lose from their implementation, and potentially much to gain." Although extremely large sustained doses of vitamin D can cause toxicity, it is otherwise harmless.

Could Most COVID-19 Deaths Have Been Prevented?
January 18, 2021 Mercola.com Could Most COVID-19 Deaths Have Been Prevented? Dr. Joseph Mercola

https://www.organicconsumers.org/news/could-most-covid-19-deaths-have-been-prevented

In recent weeks and months, there's been an upshot of studies demonstrating the benefits of vitamin D against COVID-19. The evidence is so compelling, more than 100 doctors, scientists and leading authorities have signed an open letter calling for increased use of vitamin D in the fight against COVID-19.

Research shows low vitamin D levels almost certainly promote COVID-19 infections, hospitalizations, and deaths. Given its safety, we call for immediate widespread increased vitamin D intakes," the letter states, adding:3 "Vitamin D modulates thousands of genes and many aspects of immune function, both innate and adaptive. The scientific evidence shows that:

•'''Higher vitamin D blood levels are associated with lower rates of SARS-CoV-2 infection. Higher D levels are associated with lower risk of a severe case (hospitalization, ICU, or death).'''

•Intervention studies (including RCTs) indicate that vitamin D can be a very effective treatment. Many papers reveal several biological mechanisms by which vitamin D influences COVID-19.

•Causal inference modelling, Hill's criteria, the intervention studies & the biological mechanisms indicate that vitamin D's influence on COVID-19 is very likely causal, not just correlation."

Open letter - Vitamin D for all
Open letter - Vitamin D for all

https://vitamind4all.org/letter.html

Worse Than the Disease? Reviewing Some Possible Unintended Consequences of the mRNA Vaccines Against COVID-19
Vol. 2 No. 1 (2021): Epidemic NCDs / Articles ''Worse Than the Disease? Reviewing Some Possible Unintended Consequences of the mRNA Vaccines Against COVID-19'' Stephanie Seneff and Greg Nigh

https://ijvtpr.com/index.php/IJVTPR/article/view/23 https://ijvtpr.com/index.php/IJVTPR/article/view/23/34

Sun Worshippers: Indonesians Soak Up The Rays To Battle Virus
April 29, 2020 Sun Worshippers: Indonesians Soak Up The Rays To Battle Virus By Agnes ANYA, Safrin Labatu

https://www.barrons.com/news/sun-worshippers-indonesians-soak-up-the-rays-to-battle-virus-01588144805

"Exposing the body to direct sunlight is good to get vitamin D, not to directly prevent the disease," said Dr. Dirga Sakti Rambe at Jakarta’s OMNI Pulomas Hospital.

....

Bare-chested suntan sessions have been incorporated into morning exercise routines for some military and police units.

Theobald Palm and His Remarkable Observation: How the Sunshine Vitamin Came to Be Recognized
Nutrients. 2012 Jan; 4(1): 42–51. Theobald Palm and His Remarkable Observation: How the Sunshine Vitamin Came to Be Recognized Russell W. Chesney

doi: 10.3390/nu4010042 PMCID: PMC3277100 PMID: 22347617 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3277100/

3. Results: ....

'''Palm’s perceptions may have been influenced by the increased atmospheric dimness due to the 1883 eruption of Krakatoa [23]. Ash rose to a height of 80 km. Average global temperatures fell by more than two degrees the next year and weather was erratic for several years, until at least 1889.'''

....

While rickets is the osseous form of severe vitamin D deficiency and nutritional rickets is the most common form, there are other types of hypocalcemic and hypophosphatemic rickets, frequently with a hereditary basis and involving renal tubular transport or various aspects of vitamin D metabolism or receptor activity [29]. The discovery of the sun as a source of vitamin D did not end the epidemic of nutritional rickets. This crippling condition was ultimately cured or prevented after the classic studies of Edward Mellanby [30], the discovery of vitamin D by Elmer McCollum and his team [31], and supplementation of foodstuffs with vitamin D2 (ergocalciferol) by Harry Steenbock [32] and independently by Alfred Hess in the 1920s [33]. At the same time as landmark studies of the effects of cod lever oil administration by McCollum’s team, Hess’s and Steenbock’s work with animals, and Harriette Chick’s examination of rachitic Viennese orphans, the dual roles of diet and exposure to sunshine in the production of vitamin D were being recognized [34,35].

'''During World War I, the German and Austro-Hungarian empires were under a stiff blockade imposed by the British navy, and food for civilians was totally inadequate. Rickets became even more prevalent in children in wartime Berlin and Vienna; even older children and young adolescents developed rickets [2,34,36], probably because of malnutrition and delayed onset of puberty.''' Many of these children were not only malnourished, but also were orphans. Orphanages were often disorganized and the children only got out of doors for limited amounts of time [34]. Kurt Huldschinsky, a Berlin pediatrician, noted the pale skin of his patients. He provided them with calcium supplements and irradiated them with quartz mercury-vapor lamps (Figure 3), which emit wavelengths ranging from 200 to 600 nm (UVB wavelengths are 290–320 nm), and then announced a cure [37,38]. This cure for rickets was rapidly confirmed in 100 other children [39]. Investigations on the severity of rickets and its response to therapy were greatly aided by the use of X-rays [2,40,41]. From serial views of limb X-ray studies, Huldschinsky demonstrated that light shined on only one arm cured rickets in both arms. He theorized that a chemical was synthesized in response to UV light that could diffuse throughout the affected child [37].

....

5. Conclusions: In conclusion, Theobald Palm believed in “sunshine as a means of health” [18]. He urged the “abatement of smoke” and the “multiplication of open spaces, especially as play-grounds for the children of the poor” [18]. Writing in 1890, his analysis of the geographic distribution of rickets and recognition of the power of sunlight led to a seminal observation that led to subsequent studies in the early 20th century that expanded upon and proved his theories.

It is rather odd that Rickets tracks tuberculosis and many other airway infections. It is rather odd that the Russian influenza pandemic of 1889 followed the loss of sunlight after Krakatoa erupted. Also the Spanish Influenza pandemic took place during a time of Rickets resurgence due to artificial food shortages and travel restrictions. It is possible that with some digging we may be able to find many epidemic that follow from reductions of societal Vitamin-D levels. (KMP)

DOI: 10.1101/2021.01.28.21250673
Is vitamin D deficiency associated with the COVID-19 epidemic in Europe? Dimitra Rafailia Bakaloudi, Michail Chourdakis

DOI: 10.1101/2021.01.28.21250673 https://doi.org/10.1101/2021.01.28.21250673 https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.01.28.21250673v2

Abstract The authors have withdrawn this manuscript because, following comments received during the review process, they have updated the number of countries included in their study (and also changed from 5 to 10 years the limit for Vit-D information studies that they included), which led to non-significant correlations between mortality and infections and Vit D deficiency prevalence. Therefore, the authors do not wish this work to be cited as reference for the project. If you have any questions, please contact the corresponding author.

This January 2021 study that seems to have believable results was hampered by the available data and withdrawn. The authors published a replacement paper in March 2021 that is still in peer-review 5 months later with some critical comments that highlight the poor methodology and results. Basically from a positive result shared by other researchers they have now come to a negative conclusion saying no strong correlation found but even with their poor data the positive but weak correlation still exists. The media has promoted the unreviewed paper that shows a weak positive correlation as proof of a negative correlation ignoring other papers that have found a positive correlation. (KMP)

https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.03.04.21252885v2#disqus_thread Prevalence of vitamin D is not associated with the COVID-19 epidemic in Europe. A critical update of the existing evidence - Dimitra Rafailia Bakaloudi, Michail Chourdakis - March 10, 2021

DOI: 10.1016/j.jiph.2020.06.021 Role of vitamin D in preventing of COVID-19 infection, progression and severity - Nurshad Ali - 2020 Jun 20 "A significant negative correlation (p=0.033) has been observed between mean vitamin D levels and COVID-19 cases per one million population in European countries."

DOI: 10.1007/s40520-020-01619-8 Revisiting the role of vitamin D levels in the prevention of COVID-19 infection and mortality in European countries post infections peak - Samer Singh, Rajinder Kaur, Rakesh Kumar Singh - 2020 Aug 1 "Comparative analysis of data from the mentioned stages indicated a significant increase in negative correlation of vitamin D levels with COVID-19 cases per million population in later stage (r(20): −0.5504; R2 = 0.3029; p value: 0.0119 vs r(20): −0.4435; R2 = 0.1967; p value: 0.0501),"

DOI: 10.1007/s40520-020-01570-8 The role of vitamin D in the prevention of coronavirus disease 2019 infection and mortality - Petre Cristian Ilie, Simina Stefanescu, Lee Smith - 2020 July "Negative correlations between mean levels of vitamin D (average 56 mmol/L, STDEV 10.61) in each country and the number of COVID-19 cases/1 M (mean 295.95, STDEV 298.7, and mortality/1 M (mean 5.96, STDEV 15.13) were observed."

TBA

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