--- title: "Scientists Find Link Between Vitamin Deficiency and COVID Deaths" description: "A team of researchers at the University of East Anglia, England have found links between low levels of vitamin D and COVID-19 mortality rates across Europe." date: "2020-05-01" modified: "2020-05-01" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/neoscope/vitamin-deficiency-covid-deaths" categories: - "Health & Medicine" - "Medical" - "Pathogens" - "Viruses" tags: - "coronavirus" - "covid19" - "nhs" - "vitamin" --- # Scientists Find Link Between Vitamin Deficiency and COVID Deaths ![A team of researchers at the University of East Anglia, England have found links between low levels of vitamin D and COVID-19 mortality rates across Europe.]() *\Image: Victor Tangermann\* A team of researchers at the University of East Anglia, England have found links between low levels of vitamin D and COVID-19 mortality rates across Europe, [*Science Alert* reports](). "We believe, that we can advise Vitamin D supplementation to protect against SARS-CoV2 infection," concludes the yet-to-be-peer-reviewed paper. "The most vulnerable group of population for COVID-19 is also the one that has the most deficit in vitamin D." The research, as detailed in a [preprint study]() uploaded to archive *Research Square* last month, found that levels of vitamin D among citizens of 20 countries in Europe "was strongly associated" with the mortality rates caused by COVID-19. It's important to note, though, that correlation does not mean causation. It's simply far too early to tell if there is a causal link and if raising vitamin D levels could help people recover from the deadly virus. Simply put, it's probably too early for health practitioners to recommend vitamin supplements. Nonetheless, demand for vitamin C and D has [soared during the outbreak](). Analysts however believe it's because the vast majority of people have been quarantining indoors with limited access to immunity-boosting sunlight. But previous research could help underline an important link between the two. Previous studies have shown that raising vitamin D levels, if deficient, can reduce the risk of other common respiratory infections including influenza and tuberculosis, *Science Alert* points out. The UK's National Health Service (NHS) is recommending people to take 10 micrograms of vitamin D a day "because you may not be getting enough vitamin D from sunlight if you’re indoors most of the day," according to the [service's website](). "There have been some news reports about vitamin D reducing the risk of coronavirus," an NHS update on the coronavirus reads. "However, there is no evidence that this is the case." **READ MORE:** [COVID-19 Deaths Are Being Linked to Vitamin D Deficiency. Here's What That Means]() **More on the virus:** *[EXPERTS: PEOPLE PROBABLY AREN’T ACTUALLY CATCHING COVID AGAIN]()* ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()