Long COVID continues to affect a large number of individuals.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), around six out of every 100 infected people develop Long COVID.
Symptoms may include fatigue, breathing difficulties, problems with concentration, and mental health challenges. In some cases, they last for several months or longer.
There is no specific treatment, and efforts therefore focus on relieving individual symptoms.
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The risk is highest among older people, those who have experienced severe illness, and individuals with other health conditions.
Vitamin D
A study published in The Journal of Nutrition has examined whether vitamin D may have an effect in connection with COVID-19. More than 1,700 people participated in the trial.
Participants received either vitamin D or a placebo for four weeks after being infected. The results showed that vitamin D did not affect how ill the participants became.
There was also no difference in hospitalizations or transmission among people living in the same household.
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Possible prevention
However, researchers observed a slight difference in the development of Long COVID.
Fewer individuals in the group receiving vitamin D experienced persistent symptoms after eight weeks compared with the placebo group.
Researchers assess that vitamin D may play a role in the body’s immune system and reduce inflammatory responses that can contribute to prolonged illness.
Vitamin D cannot change the course of the disease itself but may potentially reduce the risk of developing Long COVID.
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Sources: Medical News Today, WHO, and The Journal of Nutrition.
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This article is made and published by Ida-Marie Palm Varbæk, who may have used AI in the preparation.