Conclusion

In conclusion, the impacts of COVID 19 and its strain on the healthcare system are huge. The mortality rate is especially high in vulnerable populations that are vitamin D deficient. The situation is likely to be worse with the introduction of emergency lockdown measures that confines the population indoors. Vitamin D deficiency is prevalent among the U.K. population, with crude incidence rate increased from 0.29 per 1000 person-year in 2005 to 16.08 per 1000 person-year in 2015(126). It affects one in five people in the U.K. according to a national survey(127). In the northern hemisphere, Vitamin D deficiency is often worse over the months from October to March when there is less sunlight in the day, corresponding to a peak in the spread of COVID-19. To date there are ongoing clinical trials in the U.S. and Spain involving COVID-19 patients to establish whether taking vitamin D can help in attenuating disease progression(9). The use of vitamin D as a readily accessible and cost-effective strategy to reduce the incidence and severity of disease in COVID-19 patients is an option that deserves further consideration.