Coronavirus

[dhanson865]

FWIW now that we are 3 years in the US deaths numbers are

1,135,957 by United States COVID - Coronavirus Statistics - Worldometer

and

1,278,698 per Excess Deaths Associated with COVID-19 (CDC)

 

[dhanson865]

Protective Effect of Vitamin D Supplementation on COVID-19-Related Intensive Care Hospitalization and Mortality: Definitive Evidence from Meta-Analysis and Trial Sequential Analysis

Vitamin D administration results in a decreased risk of death and ICU admission (standardized mean difference (95% CI): 0.49 (0.34–0.72) and 0.28 (0.20–0.39), respectively). The TSA of the protective role of vitamin D and ICU admission showed that, since the pooling of the studies reached a definite sample size, the positive association is conclusive. The TSA of the protective role of vitamin D in mortality risk showed that the z-curve was inside the alpha boundaries, indicating that the positive results need further studies. Discussion: The results of the meta-analyses and respective TSAs suggest a definitive association between the protective role of vitamin D and ICU hospitalization.

COVID-19 and vitamin D (Co-VIVID study): a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

A total of 6 RCTs with 551 COVID-19 patients were included. The overall collective evidence pooling all the outcomes across all RCTs indicated the beneficial use of vitamin D intervention in COVID-19 (relative risk, RR = 0.60, 95% CI 0.40 to 0.92, Z = 2.33, p = 0.02, I2 = 48%). The rates of RT-CR positivity were significantly decreased in the intervention group as compared to the non-vitamin D groups (RR = 0.46, 95% CI 0.24 to 0.89, Z = 2.31, p = 0.02, I2 = 0%). Conclusively, COVID-19 patients supplemented with vitamin D are more likely to demonstrate fewer rates of ICU admission, mortality events, and RT-PCR positivity.


Effects of a 2-Week 5000 IU versus 1000 IU Vitamin D3 Supplementation on Recovery of Symptoms in Patients with Mild to Moderate Covid-19: A Randomized Clinical Trial

Effect of a Single High Dose of Vitamin D3 on Hospital Length of Stay in Patients With Moderate to Severe COVID-19: A Randomized Clinical Trial

 

[wdolson]

Is It Long COVID? An Expert Weighs in On Its Difficult Detection

Long COVID is fairly easy to spot in a brain map according to a neurofeedback therapist I know, though he's had a hard time getting other neurofeedback therapists on board.

 

[PACEMD]

We're shooting in the dark, aren't we? Brain map spotting and vitamin D. The latest fads? Color me skeptical but I would take all this with grained salts..........When we stumble onto something of use it will certainly look initially like all this stuff that never pans out, but make no mistake, we are in fact stumbling..........When you are stumbling you have to keep tripping until you learn how to walk. We are still crawling.........

 

[wdolson]

We're shooting in the dark, aren't we? Brain map spotting and vitamin D. The latest fads? Color me skeptical but I would take all this with grained salts..........When we stumble onto something of use it will certainly look initially like all this stuff that never pans out, but make no mistake, we are in fact stumbling..........When you are stumbling you have to keep tripping until you learn how to walk. We are still crawling.........

Brain mapping is an accepted scientific tool to study the brain.
Brain mapping - Wikipedia

Claiming it's pseudo science is like claiming a CAT scan is pseudo science.

 

[dhanson865]

We're shooting in the dark, aren't we? Brain map spotting and vitamin D. The latest fads? Color me skeptical but I would take all this with grained salts..........When we stumble onto something of use it will certainly look initially like all this stuff that never pans out, but make no mistake, we are in fact stumbling..........When you are stumbling you have to keep tripping until you learn how to walk. We are still crawling.........

There have been positive studies for Vit D the whole way through. Not a latest fad and not going away, just getting more documentation behind it.

 

[heltok]

Protective Effect of Vitamin D Supplementation on COVID-19-Related Intensive Care Hospitalization and Mortality: Definitive Evidence from Meta-Analysis and Trial Sequential Analysis

Vitamin D administration results in a decreased risk of death and ICU admission (standardized mean difference (95% CI): 0.49 (0.34–0.72) and 0.28 (0.20–0.39), respectively). The TSA of the protective role of vitamin D and ICU admission showed that, since the pooling of the studies reached a definite sample size, the positive association is conclusive. The TSA of the protective role of vitamin D in mortality risk showed that the z-curve was inside the alpha boundaries, indicating that the positive results need further studies. Discussion: The results of the meta-analyses and respective TSAs suggest a definitive association between the protective role of vitamin D and ICU hospitalization.

COVID-19 and vitamin D (Co-VIVID study): a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

A total of 6 RCTs with 551 COVID-19 patients were included. The overall collective evidence pooling all the outcomes across all RCTs indicated the beneficial use of vitamin D intervention in COVID-19 (relative risk, RR = 0.60, 95% CI 0.40 to 0.92, Z = 2.33, p = 0.02, I2 = 48%). The rates of RT-CR positivity were significantly decreased in the intervention group as compared to the non-vitamin D groups (RR = 0.46, 95% CI 0.24 to 0.89, Z = 2.31, p = 0.02, I2 = 0%). Conclusively, COVID-19 patients supplemented with vitamin D are more likely to demonstrate fewer rates of ICU admission, mortality events, and RT-PCR positivity.


Effects of a 2-Week 5000 IU versus 1000 IU Vitamin D3 Supplementation on Recovery of Symptoms in Patients with Mild to Moderate Covid-19: A Randomized Clinical Trial

Effect of a Single High Dose of Vitamin D3 on Hospital Length of Stay in Patients With Moderate to Severe COVID-19: A Randomized Clinical Trial

The citicism I have heard is that the main study(86% of the weight) by Nogues et al was an observational study and should not have been included:

Calcifediol treatment and COVID-19-related outcomes

COVID-19 is a major health problem because of saturation of intensive care units (ICU) and mortality. Vitamin D has emerged as a potential treatment able to reduce the disease severity. To elucidate the effect of calcifediol [25OHD3] treatment on COVID-19-related ...

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

The other studies did not show any positive effect.

 

[dhanson865]

The other studies did not show any positive effect.

Then you didn't read the 4 studies I linked to, all 4 showed positive effects. If you discount only one of them that leaves 3.

#1 : Vitamin D administration results in a decreased risk of death and ICU admission (standardized mean difference (95% CI): 0.49 (0.34–0.72) and 0.28 (0.20–0.39), respectively). The TSA of the protective role of vitamin D and ICU admission showed that, since the pooling of the studies reached a definite sample size, the positive association is conclusive. The TSA of the protective role of vitamin D in mortality risk showed that the z-curve was inside the alpha boundaries, indicating that the positive results need further studies. Discussion: The results of the meta-analyses and respective TSAs suggest a definitive association between the protective role of vitamin D and ICU hospitalization.

#2 : A total of 6 RCTs with 551 COVID-19 patients were included. The overall collective evidence pooling all the outcomes across all RCTs indicated the beneficial use of vitamin D intervention in COVID-19 (relative risk, RR = 0.60, 95% CI 0.40 to 0.92, Z = 2.33, p = 0.02, I2 = 48%). The rates of RT-CR positivity were significantly decreased in the intervention group as compared to the non-vitamin D groups (RR = 0.46, 95% CI 0.24 to 0.89, Z = 2.31, p = 0.02, I2 = 0%). Conclusively, COVID-19 patients supplemented with vitamin D are more likely to demonstrate fewer rates of ICU admission, mortality events, and RT-PCR positivity.

#3 : In summary, a 2-week oral supplementation of 5000 IU vitamin D3 was superior to 1000 IU in resolving cough and gustatory sensory loss among COVID-19 patients with sub-optimal vitamin D presenting with mild to moderate symptoms. The present findings add to the growing body of evidence on the beneficial effects of vitamin D supplementation against COVID-19, particularly among those with suboptimal levels.

#4 : Conclusion: A 5000 IU daily oral vitamin D3 supplementation for 2 weeks reduces the time to recovery for cough and gustatory sensory loss among patients with sub-optimal vitamin D status and mild to moderate COVID-19 symptoms

 

[dhanson865]

and you'd think Doctors could understand the simple truth that a patient laying in a dark room isn't getting enough sun on their skin for days or weeks at a time and add Vit D to their intake while they are in a hospital.

Doubly so for patients of a Nursing home that don't get outside regularly.

I'm not suggesting megadoses or that it's some sort of miracle cure. I'm just saying it should be on the same scale of thought as making sure they get food and water.

and I'm saying anyone taking care of themselves should know if they need to supplement Vit D in the winter.

I don't bother taking it in the summer but I do take it late fall/all winter/early spring when the days are short.

How common is vitamin D deficiency/insufficiency? (per the Cleveland clinic)​

"Vitamin D deficiency is a common global issue. About 1 billion people worldwide have vitamin D deficiency, while 50% of the population has vitamin D insufficiency."

So if 50% of the people in the world don't have enough in them, that's a large pool of patients that could have improvement by supplementation. And the documentation is there that doing so affects Covid recovery, Covid Survivability, and suggests it may even be a factor in whether or not you get infected in the first place.

 

[jerry33]

and you'd think Doctors could understand the simple truth that a patient laying in a dark room isn't getting enough sun on their skin for days or weeks at a time and add Vit D to their intake while they are in a hospital.

Doubly so for patients of a Nursing home that don't get outside regularly.

I'm not suggesting megadoses or that it's some sort of miracle cure. I'm just saying it should be on the same scale of thought as making sure they get food and water.

and I'm saying anyone taking care of themselves should know if they need to supplement Vit D in the winter.

I don't bother taking it in the summer but I do take it late fall/all winter/early spring when the days are short.

How common is vitamin D deficiency/insufficiency? (per the Cleveland clinic)​

"Vitamin D deficiency is a common global issue. About 1 billion people worldwide have vitamin D deficiency, while 50% of the population has vitamin D insufficiency."

So if 50% of the people in the world don't have enough in them, that's a large pool of patients that could have improvement by supplementation. And the documentation is there that doing so affects Covid recovery, Covid Survivability, and suggests it may even be a factor in whether or not you get infected in the first place.

Just be sure you don't overdose. Vitamin D is one where more is not better.

 

[dhanson865]

Just be sure you don't overdose. Vitamin D is one where more is not better.

Agreed. 1000 IU seems to be a common pill, but you can get 400 IU if you are below average body weight or want to fine tune your dose.

If you are the type that pays attention to your bowel movements it's possible to tell when you have too much. The more Vit D you take (once you get past insufficiency) the softer your stool will be. If it's too soft you can cut back until your stool looks normal again.

Of course that assumes you have a steady intake of fiber and liquids so that you aren't dealing with a complex multivariable equation. But if you are the type that eats a steady diet you can adjust your supplement intake based on the output.

The other option is to get blood tests and adjust your dose that way. But that isn't cheap (and if you don't test regularly it isn't much help).

 

[wdolson]

Agreed. 1000 IU seems to be a common pill, but you can get 400 IU if you are below average body weight or want to fine tune your dose.

If you are the type that pays attention to your bowel movements it's possible to tell when you have too much. The more Vit D you take (once you get past insufficiency) the softer your stool will be. If it's too soft you can cut back until your stool looks normal again.

Of course that assumes you have a steady intake of fiber and liquids so that you aren't dealing with a complex multivariable equation. But if you are the type that eats a steady diet you can adjust your supplement intake based on the output.

The other option is to get blood tests and adjust your dose that way. But that isn't cheap (and if you don't test regularly it isn't much help).

Vitamin D overdose can take different forms. The body stores vitamin D, but different people are more efficient at it than others. People whose ancestry comes from tropical climates tend to store less efficiently than those who come from more arctic climates.

My partner is a mix of Mediterranean and Aztec. She needs large amounts of vitamin D to be in the normal range. My genetics are all north of the European continent (except one very tiny bit from Sardinia, less than 1%). I sometimes take small doses in the middle of winter, but I have to be careful. I overdose easily, and my blood levels are still saying I'm below the right level when I hit that point.

My overdose symptom is an unusual one, I can't store any fluid. I look at a glass of water and it goes through me. I end up dehydrated and can't get hydrated. If I catch it when I just cross the line, it takes me a week to get the levels back down to where I can store water again.

My doctor for many years was Swedish and she said she could overdose easily on vitamin D too. Her symptoms were different though (I don't remember what she said hers were.)

 

[NigelM]

Protective Effect of Vitamin D Supplementation on COVID-19-Related Intensive Care Hospitalization and Mortality: Definitive Evidence from Meta-Analysis and Trial Sequential Analysis

Vitamin D administration results in a decreased risk of death and ICU admission (standardized mean difference (95% CI): 0.49 (0.34–0.72) and 0.28 (0.20–0.39), respectively). The TSA of the protective role of vitamin D and ICU admission showed that, since the pooling of the studies reached a definite sample size, the positive association is conclusive. The TSA of the protective role of vitamin D in mortality risk showed that the z-curve was inside the alpha boundaries, indicating that the positive results need further studies. Discussion: The results of the meta-analyses and respective TSAs suggest a definitive association between the protective role of vitamin D and ICU hospitalization.

COVID-19 and vitamin D (Co-VIVID study): a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

A total of 6 RCTs with 551 COVID-19 patients were included. The overall collective evidence pooling all the outcomes across all RCTs indicated the beneficial use of vitamin D intervention in COVID-19 (relative risk, RR = 0.60, 95% CI 0.40 to 0.92, Z = 2.33, p = 0.02, I2 = 48%). The rates of RT-CR positivity were significantly decreased in the intervention group as compared to the non-vitamin D groups (RR = 0.46, 95% CI 0.24 to 0.89, Z = 2.31, p = 0.02, I2 = 0%). Conclusively, COVID-19 patients supplemented with vitamin D are more likely to demonstrate fewer rates of ICU admission, mortality events, and RT-PCR positivity.


Effects of a 2-Week 5000 IU versus 1000 IU Vitamin D3 Supplementation on Recovery of Symptoms in Patients with Mild to Moderate Covid-19: A Randomized Clinical Trial

Effect of a Single High Dose of Vitamin D3 on Hospital Length of Stay in Patients With Moderate to Severe COVID-19: A Randomized Clinical Trial

Maybe when quoting studies, including from the NIH, it's a good idea to add the NIH's own consideration of the value of said studies:

• "There is insufficient evidence for the Panel to recommend either for or against the use of vitamin D for the prevention or treatment of COVID-19."

Vitamin D | COVID-19 Treatment Guidelines

Read information about vitamin D and COVID-19.

www.covid19treatmentguidelines.nih.gov

 

[madodel]

Young people are more likely to die of heart attacks post-COVID, study finds. But why?
A recent study found that heart attacks in people ages 25 to 44 increased by 30% compared to the expected number over the first two years of the COVID-19 pandemic.

 

[scottf200]

FYI -- not sure why I tend to follow this page but it is novel on how slowly XBB.1.5 is moving westward/south-westward.

COVID Data Tracker

CDC’s home for COVID-19 data. Visualizations, graphs, and data in one easy-to-use website.

covid.cdc.gov

~75% - XBB.1.5
Looks like NW is only place where it is < 50%

 

[PACEMD]

Brain mapping is an accepted scientific tool to study the brain.
Brain mapping - Wikipedia

Claiming it's pseudo science is like claiming a CAT scan is pseudo science.

Who "claimed" anything about brain mapping being "pseudoscience"? If that is even a real thing........

Most of the other shots in the dark which didn't land were not of themselves "pseudoscience" either..

 

[PACEMD]

There have been positive studies for Vit D the whole way through. Not a latest fad and not going away, just getting more documentation behind it.

That's just dandy then. Let's remember to review this and the other swings in the dark objectively 10 years down the road. I did not in fact say any of these fads will not eventually be proven to have benefits, in fact, I said the opposite. It's just that I am more than a little skeptical as we randomly pop off in all directions......

If you want to fight the Vitamin D battle I say excellent, go for it. I'm always happy to be wrong but if I'm laying bets with the limited information we have now and our historical knowledge of the nature of such things.......for me that ain't a solid hand..........but carry on and let's talk occasionally over the next 10 years.........I would prefer to be wrong, I just don't see that happening..........

 

[DrGriz]

That's just dandy then. Let's remember to review this and the other swings in the dark objectively 10 years down the road. I did not in fact say any of these fads will not eventually be proven to have benefits, in fact, I said the opposite. It's just that I am more than a little skeptical as we randomly pop off in all directions......

If you want to fight the Vitamin D battle I say excellent, go for it. I'm always happy to be wrong but if I'm laying bets with the limited information we have now and our historical knowledge of the nature of such things.......for me that ain't a solid hand..........but carry on and let's talk occasionally over the next 10 years.........I would prefer to be wrong, I just don't see that happening..........

VIt D as a treatment for anything has fallen flat so many times.

 

[PACEMD]

VIt D as a treatment for anything has fallen flat so many times.

Good point. Maybe it's the shape. Perhaps something a bit more trianglesk......with just a touch of kafka on the side.....

 

[PACEMD]

Hey, lookie maw, another x-expressive serial disagreer, which reminds me, we ain't tried cereals yet in this here battle........