Vitamin D Deficiency Raises Risk of COVID-19 Hospitalization, Study Finds
Tuesday, 22 July 2025 () Scientists from the University of South Australia, in collaboration with King’s College London and the Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation, have found a significant link between low vitamin D levels and an increased risk of hospitalization due to COVID-19. Their findings, based on data from 151,543 individuals in the UK Biobank, were published in the journal PLOS One. Vitamin D plays a crucial role in regulating the immune system, and its deficiency can impair the body's response to infections. According to the researchers, people with insufficient or deficient levels of the vitamin were more likely to be hospitalized with COVID-19 compared to those with normal levels — a trend most pronounced among participants of European descent. “People with low vitamin D were consistently more likely to be hospitalized due to COVID-19. This pattern was especially clear among individuals of European ancestry,” the researchers concluded. The analysis also found a slight increase in infection risk, but not in severity, among individuals of Asian and Afro-Caribbean backgrounds who had low vitamin D levels.
Tuesday, 22 July 2025 ()
