The Role of Vitamin D in Viral Infection

Abstract

Vitamin D deficiency occurs in almost 50% of the population worldwide. The role of vitamin D in the immune system can be seen in both innate and adaptive immunity. Coronavirus Disease 2019 or COVID-19 is a new type of disease that has never been previously identified by humans. Many efforts have been made to prevent the spread of COVID-19 such as consumption of vitamin D3. This literature review aims to determine the role of vitamin D3 in COVID-19 infection. Based on a literature review of 10 studies with primary data, this literature review shows that patients with vitamin D deficiency accompanied by COVID-19 infection have higher CRP levels, clinical severity, and mortality rates. The endocrine society recommends a daily dose of Vitamin D3 supplementation in the range of 1500-2000 IU/day for adolescent adults. The administration of a single high dose of vitamin D (200,000 IU) has been shown to be ineffective in accelerating the hospitalization of COVID-19 patients in hospitals. It can be concluded that low vitamin D levels are associated with high CRP. It has been proven that Vitamin D3 plays a role in reducing mortality, preventing cytokine storms, and preventing long COVID-19 because the dose, daily requirement, comorbidities, and vitamin D deficiency are different for each individual.