VITAMIN D, ITS STATUS AND IMPACT ON IMMUNITY AND ITS ROLE IN COVID-19 AND RELATED VIRAL PANDEMICS - A CRITICAL ANALYSIS

Dr Naresh Rathod; Dr Jyothi DB; Dr Fouzia M; Dr Aashish Singh Rajput; Dr K Lakshminarayana

Volume : X, Issue : V, May - 2020

VITAMIN D, ITS STATUS AND IMPACT ON IMMUNITY AND ITS ROLE IN COVID-19 AND RELATED VIRAL PANDEMICS - A CRITICAL ANALYSIS

Dr Naresh Rathod, Dr Jyothi Db, Dr Fouzia M, Dr Aashish Singh Rajput, Dr K Lakshminarayana

Abstract :

The globe is under the grip of Covid–19, which is a dreadful pandemic caused by a novel virus belonging to family of coronaviruses. This is supposed to begin as a cross species transmission from bats to humans, originating from the city of Wuhan, in the Hubei province of the country of china in the late 2019. This pandemic has caused a widespread impact on human lives and the economy, the mortality rates are increasing steadily. Impaired or weakened immune responses have shown to cause increased susceptibility and subsequent mortality in the viral pandemics of the past. In the pretext of non–availability of vaccines and other drugs to treat these conditions, Social distancing and related Non–Pharmaceutical Intervention strategies go a long way in limiting the spread. Keeping the immunity intact and strong, helps in reducing the chances of succumbing to such pandemics. Vitamin D, a versatile fat soluble vitamin is known to have immune–enhancing properties and it helps to reduce the incidence of respiratory infections through varied mechanism, which includes protection via strengthening the three immune barriers viz: strengthening physical barriers via occludins, gap junctions and E–cadherins, strengthening the cellular and adaptive immunity responses. Induction of cathelicidins and defensins by Vitamin D is known to lower viral replication rates and reducing concentrations of pro–inflammatory cytokines and increase anti–inflammatory cytokines that may prevent the development of ARDS and subsequent mortality. Vitamin D is also known to have preventive effect in the development of cytokine release syndrome. A recent study by Alipio M and colleagues on Covid–19 infected individuals, gives an indication that higher levels of Vitamin D [25(OH)D] will possibly have less severe symptoms and vice–versa. More clinical trials with stringent protocols studying the effects of Vitamin D in Covid–19 patients needs to be carried out on large scale, In the absence of clinical studies at large, maintaining adequate Vitamin D levels among general public under lockdown, patients of Covid–19 and healthcare professionals may lessen the effects of the virus, by its immune boosting and viral disintegrating properties viz a viz, may lessen the severity of the symptoms caused by Covid–19 virus and could help us to save more lives.