“The State needs to review preventative measures that might have led to fewer mortalities and lower morbidity. In that regard, the role of Vitamin DWhat it does: Helps maintain strong and healthy bones by retaining calcium. Deficiency Signs: Joint pain or stiffness, backache, tooth decay, muscle cramps, hair loss…. needs to be addressed as part of an enhanced public health policy to protect the population against respiratory infections and other illnesses.” Oireachtas are recommending that vitamin D be made widely available, and given out at testing centres.
Will the UK follow suit? Just like Ireland over a quarter of all citizens are vitamin D deficient, but this rises to one in two in the BAME community during winter. The NHS share patient data with Oxford University’s Big Data Institute. This includes hundreds of thousands of patient’s vitamin D levels, which could easily be associated with their incidence, severity and mortality from COVID-19. Why is this basic research not being done and acted on? Finland has one tenth the covid mortality and one of the lowest rates of vitamin D deficiency due to both widespread supplementation and food fortification.
Currently, the UK haven’t endorsed the role of vitamin D in reducing risk, severity and mortality from COVID-19, but do recommend everyone take 400iu during the winter which is the standard ‘bone-friendly’ intake. But this is not enough to correct deficiency or bring blood levels into the range of 75-125nmol/l which equates to lower risk. Many people need 1,000 to 4,000iu to achieve this, the higher level being necessary in winter. Professor of Medical Gerontology in Dublin, Rose Kenny, said public health officials here agree that taking “up to 4,000 ius per day” is safe. “I am reassured that there is no downside”, she said.
The Irish advice is also not related specifically to winter, but to provide protection all year round to help reduce the risk a third wave. “This supplementation represents a safe, practical, and effective means of protecting human health.” They say – but will the UK’s Department of Health?
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