RCT of Vitamin D as Covid treatment

[jon-nyc]

Again a winner, not a huge N but massive effect size in keeping hospitalized patients out of ICU

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0960076020302764

Of 50 patients treated with calcifediol, one required admission to the ICU (2%), while of 26 untreated patients, 13 required admission (50 %) p value X2 Fischer test p < 0.001.

[Jolly]

Note they were also treating with the hydroxychloroquine/azithromycin combo of drugs. No zinc.

[jon-nyc]

Saw that. Both arms were though, so the effect shown here is the VitD.

Or random noise, but that seems increasingly unlikely at this point.

[Jolly]

My question would be, is it the cocktail or the Vitamin D alone?

[Jolly]

Next question...We're all those patients Vitamin D deficient?

[George K]

Another take for combination therapy:

https://nodebb.the-new-coffee-room.club/topic/4032/icam

[Jolly]

Certainly need something. Remdesivir is a very expensive drug, out of the reach of many people around the world.

[Jolly]

Which brings up another question...How much better are we at treating COVID now, as opposed to last March?

[George K]

@Jolly said in RCT of Vitamin D as Covid treatment:

Which brings up another question...How much better are we at treating COVID now, as opposed to last March?

Good point - and Bach commented that we're better at it.

The understanding that COVID-19 is, among other things, a vascular, not respiratory disease changed a lot (use of anticoagulants). Reducing the dependency on mechanical ventilation has helped as well - throwing out the old algorithms of who needs a ventilator and who doesn't. The other things that seem to be clear are the uses of steroids as anti-inflammatory and antibiotics to treat superinfection.

I'm not sure I understand the physiology of the benefits of zinc and vitamins, however.