Vitamin D supplementation for the treatment of COVID-19: a living systematic review.

Study answer

What this study found

Overall, there is insufficient evidence to determine whether vitamin D helps or harms adults treated for COVID-19. One small trial in hospitalized patients reported fewer ICU admissions with calcifediol, 1/50 versus 13/26, RR 0.04, 95% CI 0.01 to 0.29, but mortality was not clearly improved, 0/50 versus 2/26, RR 0.11, 95% CI 0.01 to 2.13. A larger Brazilian trial found no clear benefit for mortality, 9/119 versus 6/118, RR 1.49, 95% CI 0.55 to 4.04, mechanical ventilation, 9/119 versus 17/118, RR 0.52, 95% CI 0.24 to 1.13, or ICU admission, 19/119 versus 25/118, RR 0.75, 95% CI 0.44 to 1.29.…

Study & population

Living systematic review of randomized trials in adults with confirmed COVID-19 comparing vitamin D supplementation with placebo or standard care.

Intervention

Vitamin D supplementation was tested in several oral regimens, including calcifediol (25(OH) vitamin D3) 0.532 mg on day 1, then 0.266 mg on days 3 and 7 and weekly thereafter until discharge or ICU admission; cholecalciferol (vitamin D3) 200,000 IU as a single oral dose; and cholecalciferol 60,000 IU/day for 7 days…

Key limitation

The evidence base is small and very uncertain, with only 4 trials and substantial heterogeneity in vitamin D form, dose, timing, baseline vitamin D status, and outcome reporting.

View full study detailsView sourceOpen PDF

Original abstract