Over 30 studies of Covid-19 and vitamin D show that vitamin D has a very strong beneficial effect reducing risk of Covid-19: risk of infection, risk of a severe case, risk that the patient will need ICU care or mechanical ventilation, and risk of death, all from Covid-19.

One recent study found that the most severely afflicted patients, those in the ICU on mechanical ventilation, had their hospital stay length cut in half, from 36 days to 18 days average by taking 100,000 IU of vitamin D3 every day for 5 days. That study was randomized and double blind, the gold standard of studies. And all of the patients given that dosage of vitamin C had their blood levels of vitamin D reach a normal level. Other studies have shown that up to 80% of ICU patients with Covid-19 have vitamin D deficiency.

Vitamin D3 is available over-the-counter in very small capsules that contain 50,000 IU of vitamin D3 per capsule. Two of those per day for 5 days will normalized vitamin D levels in the adult population very quickly. That will be sufficient to turn the pandemic from a lion into a lamb.

For Adults

There are two possible regimens for vitamin D. Choose either one, not both. These regimens are for adults only.

Regimen A

As soon as possible, take 100,000 IU of vitamin D3 per day for 5 days. After those 5 days, wait until the next calendar month, on the same day that you started taking the vitamin D, and then start taking 100,000 IU of vitamin D3 once a week, every week from then on.

Regimen B

Take 20,000 IU of vitamin D3 every day for 30 days in a row. Then, after the 30 days (beginning on day 31), take 10,000 IU of vitamin D3 every day from then on.

Choose either regimen above, A or B, not both.

For teenagers and children

Infants: 400 IU/day
Children, 1-3: 2,000 IU/day
Children, 4-8: 2,500 IU/day
Children, 9-13: 3,000 IU/day
Teens, 14-18: 4,000 IU/day

For teens or children who are sick with Covid-19, double the daily dosage while sick.

The infants’ level of vitamin D intake is simply the U.S. RDA value (actually called “Adequate Intake” when applied to infants) of 400 IU of vitamin D per day.

For children, the levels are set at 500 or 1000 IU below the tolerable upper limit for each age group set by the Institute of Medicine at the U.S. National Academies of Science [See the PDF chart here].

At the age group of 14 to 18, the value is equal to the tolerable upper limit.

So the vitamin D levels for infants and children and teens are set based on two factors, that Covid-19 is usually not severe at those ages, and the level chosen is within the tolerable upper limits.

Studies Show

Here is the list of over 30 studies of Covid-19 and vitamin D. The studies show, variously for each study, that having normal levels of vitamin D in the blood decreases risk of infection from Covid-19. The risk reduction can be more than 50% for a level of about 50 to 60 ng/ml, as compared to 21 ng/ml. According to the Martin Kroll study [1] of over 3 million persons, the average vitamin D level in the U.S. population in winter is 21 ng/ml, and, in winter also, about 75% of the population has vitamin D deficiency or insufficiency. Raising vitamin D levels will reduce risk of Covid-19 infection for more than half the population. And it’s the same in many other nations, including the U.K. and other European nations. Vitamin D levels fall in winter. That is why we are seeing a Winter Wave of Covid-19 cases.

Vitamin D also decreases risk that person infected with Covid-19 will need hospitalization. Vitamin D reduces risk of needing ICU care, reduces risk of needing mechanical ventilation, and reduces risk of death from Covid-19. All these benefits would combine to reduce the Pandemic from a lion to a lamb. The effect would be very substantial. But it takes weeks or months to raise vitamin D blood levels, depending on the dosing schedule.

Therefore, to stop the Winter Wave, we need a vitamin D supplementation program. To raise levels as fast as possible, we need a large initial dose. See the dosing regimens above.

One other possibility is that the government will require vitamin D supplementation, just as if it were a vaccine. You go to your doctor or clinic or hospital, and they give you 500,000 IU of vitamin D3 once a month. It there ever is a vaccine, it will probably require multiple shots, one month apart. A vitamin D shot instead would work better according to this article and its cited studies.

Ending the Winter Wave of Covid-19 cases is as simple as giving people vitamin D3. Why is this not being done already?

Ronald L. Conte Jr.
Covid.us.org
an author, not a doctor

1. Kroll, Martin H., et al. “Temporal relationship between vitamin D status and parathyroid hormone in the United States.” PloS one 10.3 (2015): e0118108. Study Link

See the rest of the studies here.