COVID and vitamin deficiencies: Have you been tested?

It appears the question has been under consideration for some time, that is whether Covid can cause Vitamin deficiencies. The other question that is being asked is whether a deficiency is likely to make one susceptible to more severe Covid. It is kind of the chicken and egg question, and there are some preliminary observations and some studies underway, but no firm answers from a full-fledged peer-reviewed study yet.

Here is one limited report observational I found: https://pesquisa.bvsalud.org/global-literature-on-novel-coronavirus-2019-ncov/resource/en/covidwho-1022367

As for your own situation, when were your vitamin levels last checked? If you are like most of us Americans, and relatively healthy, the answer is either "never" or "once a long time ago" so you really have no baseline readings from before Covid. That is because most insurance companies refuse to pay for lab tests to establish baseline blood levels of vitamins and minerals, absent symptoms that suggest a deficiency. I wonder if some of the emerging research will help change their minds?

Sue

There is a similar thread on here specifically about low iron post COVID vaccine. Just thought you should be aware of it. I suffered extremely low iron post COVID vaccine. Had the virus a year before the vaccine. It was only after the vaccine that my iron plummeted

I’ve had the same experience

Vitamin deficiencies seem to play a big role in our ability to respond, recover and reduce our body’s reaction to viruses and bacteria. There have been studies that show 94 percent of ICU patients have low vitamin D levels.

I have not had any vitamin checks, but I had to have an iron infusion after 2nd Pfizer shot. I’m better, but still more tired than usual. Advised by Dr to take C & D to help absorption of iron and calcium that I take daily. I also take daily potassium. I’m 79 so 🤷‍♀️! I recheck iron after Thanksgiving.

Here is a link on a study of vitamin D:
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33512007/

I’ve been reading in other Covid long hauler groups that many people are doing vitamin tests to detect deficiencies. Has anyone done that, and if so, have you also done hair analysis or just blood or urine tests? And were you referred by your doctor or have you gone through a third party vendor? I prefer to do everything through my doctor, if possible, but also recognize my doctor may not find it helpful to do so may have to look at other options.

@tiredmommy, fellow member @jsam asked a similar question and I moved your post to this existing discussion:
- COVID and vitamin deficiencies: Have you been tested? https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/covid-and-vitamin-deficiencies/

I think @mkqq @ebergfeld may have experiences to share.

Tiredmommy, have you asked your doctor about testing for vitamin deficiencies?

Thanks so much! I was going to ask my doctor on Wednesday about it.

I am in the process of having not only all vitamin levels tested, but also all inflammatory indicators, all blood panels inclusive of a d-dimer, ANA and all associated with for autoimmune possible indicators, to calcium and other elements for cancer or pretty much anything to help my provider barrow the identity field down as for my case so many systemic issues involved with no real common condition/link to each other and no history or self/family history to support all things going on. Plus all of the issues started at the same time in mid December. Spoke to CDC 2 days ago they want a VAERS from me once my clinicals have been completed. My providers feel this is due to COVID, however had the J&J last May as well. So my providers as well as myself want to make sure the data gets reported accurately and affectively to hopefully help in the future for prevention and increased positive patient out comes in the future for all.