Is vitamin D deficiency a risk factor for COVID-19 in children? 2020

Kamil Yılmaz, and Velat Şen
Department of Pediatric, Dicle University School of Medicine, Diyarbakir, Turkey.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a global health problem that can result in serious complications. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence and clinical importance of vitamin D deficiency in children with COVID-19. This study includes 40 patients who were diagnosed to have COVID-19 and hospitalized with the real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction method, 45 healthy matched control subjects with vitamin D levels. The age of admission, clinical and laboratory data, and 25-hydroxycholecalciferol (25-OHD) levels were recorded. Those with vitamin D levels which are below 20 ng/ml were determined as Group 1 and those with ≥20 ng/ml as Group 2. Patients with COVID-19 had significantly lower vitamin D levels 13.14 μg/L (4.19-69.28) than did the controls 34.81 (3.8-77.42) μg/L (p < .001). Patients with COVID-19 also had significantly lower serum phosphorus (4.09 ± 0.73 vs. 5.06 ± 0.93 vs. (U/L) (p < .001)) values compared with the controls. The symptom of fever was significantly higher in COVID- 19 patients who had deficient and insufficient vitamin D levels than in patients who had sufficient vitamin D levels (p = .038). There was a negative correlation found between fever symptom and vitamin D level (r = -0.358, p = .023). This is the first to evaluate vitamin D levels and its relationship with clinical findings in pediatric patients with COVID-19. Our results suggest that vitamin D values may be associated with the occurrence and management of the COVID-19 disease by modulating the immunological mechanism to the virus in the pediatric population.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D007223 Infant A child between 1 and 23 months of age. Infants
D008297 Male Males
D010758 Phosphorus A non-metal element that has the atomic symbol P, atomic number 15, and atomic weight 31. It is an essential element that takes part in a broad variety of biochemical reactions. Black Phosphorus,Phosphorus-31,Red Phosphorus,White Phosphorus,Yellow Phosphorus,Phosphorus 31,Phosphorus, Black,Phosphorus, Red,Phosphorus, White,Phosphorus, Yellow
D011024 Pneumonia, Viral Inflammation of the lung parenchyma that is caused by a viral infection. Pneumonias, Viral,Viral Pneumonia,Viral Pneumonias
D002112 Calcifediol The major circulating metabolite of VITAMIN D3. It is produced in the LIVER and is the best indicator of the body's vitamin D stores. It is effective in the treatment of RICKETS and OSTEOMALACIA, both in azotemic and non-azotemic patients. Calcifediol also has mineralizing properties. 25-Hydroxycholecalciferol,25-Hydroxyvitamin D 3,25-Hydroxycholecalciferol Monohydrate,25-Hydroxyvitamin D3,Calcidiol,Calcifediol Anhydrous,Calcifediol, (3 alpha,5Z,7E)-Isomer,Calcifediol, (3 beta,5E,7E)-Isomer,Calderol,Dedrogyl,Hidroferol,25 Hydroxycholecalciferol,25 Hydroxycholecalciferol Monohydrate,25 Hydroxyvitamin D 3,25 Hydroxyvitamin D3,Anhydrous, Calcifediol,Monohydrate, 25-Hydroxycholecalciferol
D002648 Child A person 6 to 12 years of age. An individual 2 to 5 years old is CHILD, PRESCHOOL. Children
D002675 Child, Preschool A child between the ages of 2 and 5. Children, Preschool,Preschool Child,Preschool Children
D005260 Female Females
D005334 Fever An abnormal elevation of body temperature, usually as a result of a pathologic process. Pyrexia,Fevers,Pyrexias
D006801 Humans Members of the species Homo sapiens. Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man

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