Double COVID-19 Confirmed Case Fatality Rate in Countries with High Elderly Female Vitamin D Deficiency Prevalence

Abstract

A number of clues point to a possible role of vitamin D in fighting COVID-19: a reduction in case growth speed with solar zenith angle, higher fatality rate in black people, lower fatality rate in populations that spend more time outdoors. Yet a direct demonstration that vitamin D deficiency is associated with COVID-19 fatalities has remained elusive. We show here in a comparison of 32 countries that countries with high prevalence of vitamin D deficiency among elderly females show a confirmed case fatality rate twice as high as those with low prevalence. We then show that this effect cannot be explained by differences in life expectancy between countries. A mechanistic role for vitamin D in the severity of COVID-19 is proposed.

Note: Funding: No funding received other than software from Mathworks, Inc.

Conflict of Interest: No competing interests to declare.

Keywords: COVID-19, vitamin D, coronavirus