Related Experiment Video
Updated: Nov 22, 2025
A Method of Trigonometric Modelling of Seasonal Variation Demonstrated with Multiple Sclerosis Relapse Data
Published on: December 9, 2015
Increased risk for COVID-19 in patients with vitamin D deficiency
Joseph Katz1, Sijia Yue2, Wei Xue2
1Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Diagnostic Sciences, University of Florida College of Dentistry, Gainesville, Florida, USA.
Insights
Vitamin D deficiency significantly increases the risk of contracting COVID-19. This study found a strong association between low vitamin D levels and higher COVID-19 infection rates, even after adjusting for various health factors.
Area of Science:
- Medical Research
- Immunology
- Epidemiology
Background:
- The COVID-19 pandemic disproportionately affected individuals with pre-existing conditions.
- Vitamin D deficiency can impair immune function, potentially increasing susceptibility to infections.
- Previous research suggested a link between vitamin D deficiency and COVID-19 severity.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between vitamin D deficiency and COVID-19 infection risk.
- To quantify the increased likelihood of COVID-19 positivity in patients with vitamin D deficiency.
- To analyze the robustness of this association after adjusting for confounding factors.
Main Methods:
- Utilized the i2b2 patient registry at University of Florida Health Center.
- Analyzed International Classification of Diseases (ICD)-10 diagnosis codes from October 2015 to June 2020.
- Employed logistic regression for statistical analysis of patient data.
Main Results:
- Patients with vitamin D deficiency were 4.6 times more likely to test positive for COVID-19 (P < 0.001).
- The association remained significant after adjusting for sex, malabsorption, race, periodontal disease, diabetes, and obesity.
- Vitamin D deficiency showed a robust association with increased COVID-19 risk across multiple adjusted models.
Conclusions:
- Vitamin D deficiency is a significant risk factor for COVID-19 infection.
- Maintaining adequate vitamin D levels may be important for mitigating COVID-19 risk.
- Further research is warranted to understand the mechanisms behind this association.
Objective:
The 2019 coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has disproportionally affected a variety of patients with underlying risk factors such as respiratory and cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, obesity, and black race. Vitamin D deficiency, which can result in a compromised immune response, has been also linked to increased risk and increased morbidities associated with COVID-19. In the absence of large-scale longitudinal studies to determine the strength of association between vitamin deficiency and COVID-19, cross-sectional studies of large patient cohorts can be used.
Methods:
We used the i2b2 patient's registry platform at the University of Florida Health Center to generate a count of patients using the international classification of diseases (ICD)-10 diagnosis codes for the period of October 1, 2015, through June 30, 2020. Logistic regression of the aggregates was used for the analysis.
Results:
Patients with vitamin D deficiency were 4.6 times more likely to be positive for COVID-19 (indicated by the ICD-10 diagnostic code COVID19) than patients with no deficiency (P < 0.001). The association decreased slightly after adjusting for sex (odds ratio [OR] = 4.58; P < 0.001) and malabsorption (OR = 4.46; P < 0.001), respectively. The association decreased significantly but remained robust (P < 0.001) after adjusting for race (OR = 3.76; P < 0.001), periodontal disease status (OR = 3.64; P < 0.001), diabetes (OR = 3.28; P < 0.001), and obesity (OR = 2.27; P < 0.001), respectively. In addition, patients with vitamin D deficiency were 5 times more likely to be infected with COVID-19 than patients with no deficiency after adjusting for age groups (OR = 5.155; P < 0.001).
Conclusions:
Vitamin D deficiency is significantly associated with increased risk for COVID-19.
Related Concept Videos
01:30Vitamins
01:23Role of Skin in Vitamin D Synthesis
The solar UV B rays (290-315 nm) are absorbed by the skin, and 7-dehydrocholesterol (provitamin D3) photolyzes it to previtamin D3, which undergoes a rapid transformation to vitamin...
01:25Role of Vitamins in Maintaining Bone Health
Vitamin A
Vitamin A is involved in the process of bone remodeling. Retinoic acid, the active metabolite of Vitamin A, has nuclear receptors in osteoblasts and osteoclasts, which are involved in bone remodeling.
Vitamin B12
Vitamin B12 acts as a cofactor during the formation of osteoblast-related proteins, such as osteocalcin. Vitamin B12 plays a role...
01:29Pulmonary Tuberculosis I
Causative Organism
The primary infectious agent causing tuberculosis is Mycobacterium tuberculosis, a slow-growing, acid-fast, aerobic rod that exhibits sensitivity to heat and ultraviolet light. Instances of Mycobacterium bovis and Mycobacterium avium contributing to the development of TB infection are rare.
Mode of...
01:26Factors Affecting the Risk of Infection
The integrity and count of the white blood cells help the body resist pathogens and fight infection. When impaired, it reduces the body's resistance to pathogens. The acidic pH levels of the gastrointestinal, genitourinary tracts, and skin...
01:24Chronic Kidney Disease II: Clinical Manifestations