Vitamin D and Covid 19

I received a shielding update the other day, from the Scottish Government, informing me I will be receiving by post, a supply of Vitamin D, as result of current research.
I had to sign up ASAP, as there are limited supplies available.

Mr L just read me a snippet from the BBC News (as he tends to early mornings.....) suggesting that 8 out of 10 people admitted to hospital with Covid are deficient in vitamin D. The link has been known since early on in the pandemic but that's a staggering figure.

I have lung problems and take a Vit d3 every day. I think it helps our immune system.

I'm deficient in VitD, sometime my levels don't register at all. It means taking very high doses on occasions to top up the maintenance dose.
It seems that being a redhead is part of the cause!

We’ve been taking VitD since the end of the summer, along with VitC and zinc. Every little helps.

It definitely supports the immune system but the bigger question is surely 'Why on earth are so many people deficient?'

This has been around and well known since the very start of the pandemic We (family) were checked and all are normal however I do take Vit D extra in the winter and get out and about as much as possible It not only could account for Black people being more at risk in developed countries as Africa on the whole has not had a bad pandemic and they certainly get their Vit D However South Africa, India and south America have not had a good time so that kind of bashes that on the head
Muslim countries you would expect to be in a worst situation as the women are often fully covered I haven’t seen many numbers for those countries
There does need to be a lot more attention to why some people have little illness and others major In the rush to find a vaccine ( which they now are saying may not be very good) they seem to have been a lot of research into other things set aside
Our bodies should be able to fight it so why can some and others not

Marydoll I've said this before and I'll say it again- your government are being so much more proactive regards shielders than ours.
Not heard a dickey bird since May.

A blood test at the start of the year showed that I was vitamin D deficient. I was given a high loading dose and now take healthspan vitamin D.
One unexpected and very welcome result has been that my hair is much thicker now and not falling out.
I've spent a fortune on snake oil over the years trying to sort out my hair.

@Marydoll, is that perhaps because, as a redhead, presumably with very fair skin, you tend to steer clear of the sun even when there is any? (Rather than the fact of your hair colour?).

Anyone know what strength VitD we should taken every day as i do know, you can take too much.

FannyCornforth have you found that your nails are stronger too? I definitely have.

In 2009 when I broke my ankle I was lacking in vitamin D. The actual diagnosis was osteopaenia. For 6 months, while my vitamin D levels were rising, I had to be very careful. I have taken it x3 daily since so that will be in my favour for once.

Yes Liz, much stronger.
They used to peel and split, I had to wear nail varnish to hold them together.
Interesting about the red hair.
My mom was a 'proper' red head, I'm sort of auburn and very pale.

Travelsafar. I too would be interested to hear the answer to your question. Also does it "clash" with other medication?

Mine is prescribed- I forget the dose but I can easily look it up.

From the NHS.uk website "You should take 10 micrograms (400 IU) of vitamin D a day between October and early March to keep your bones and muscles healthy." You can read the full advice on the link below.

www.nhs.uk/news/food-and-diet/the-new-guidelines-on-vitamin-d-what-you-need-to-know/

Now if there had been panic buying of Vitamin D at the start, that would almost have made sense!

Mushrooms are a good source of Vit.D. and I eat a lot of those as I like them creamed on toast for a tasty meal.
I used to spend a fortune every winter on jars of malt and cod-liver oil, but not allowed it now as it counteracts with the warfarin.
Mackerel is good too this time of year. I use a 250g tub of Lurpak weekly mainly on my crumpets too

travelsafar

Anyone know what strength VitD we should taken every day as i do know, you can take too much.

I agree with Travelsafar nobody seem to worry about the dosage and whether they are deficient in the first place. Vit D deficiency should be diagnosed and supplements prescribed by the GP. I just take a normal strength multivitamin and mineral supplement like every winter.

@GrannyLaine, presumably because in this country, people either don’t get enough sun, even when we have some - which is perhaps partly down to the dire warnings of the dangers of exposure to the sun for many years now.

And/or people not eating enough of the foods that supply vitamin D, e.g. oily fish.
IMO it’d be interesting to see a study of vit D levels in the general population of e.g. Sweden, where herrings were a traditional staple food and maybe still are. Our Swedish friend is certainly still fond of various pickled herrings.

In sunnier countries I can still imagine that people could be deficient if they cover up when out of doors, because they don’t want their skin to darken. It’s very common in certain countries where lighter skin is seen as preferable, to see women especially, using umbrellas as parasols.

My Vit D tablets arrived on Monday. I hate being out in direct sun and always look for shade so I'm sure I must be deficient. No free ones on the govt for me though. I had to buy them myself. Interestingly, Boots were out of stock. Words out!

Jane, they are free to the highest level of critically vulnerable in Scotland, because those patients are deemed very likely to die from Covid.
If you suspect you are vitamin D deficient, you should speak to your GP, as it can cause serious health issues.
You are only allowed one blood test a year for some reason. Mine is long overdue, due to Covid.

If you don’t like too much direct sun, Jane10 you chose the right place to live in Auld Reekie!
But why would an otherwise healthy person, with a pension and not living on benefits expect to get their VitD tablets on the NHS?
I recommend the long river company- they do have their uses!

About a month ago started taking Vitamin D tablets. Our bodies are deficient during the winter months as most comes from sunshine and foods that contain it aren’t enough. We are taking Vitabiotics ultra VitaminD 1000 I U. It contains Vitamin D3. Sainsbury’s sell it and Holland & Barrett. Now it’s being talked about I can see it getting in short supply.

Since the start of lockdown we have also been taking chewable Vitamin C extra strength 1000mg as recommended by a friend whose father was a pharmacist.

Good post Ellan I hadn’t thought about interfering with other medication. And as you say food can help too, extra butter on our toast and crumpets!