What’s Killing Coronavirus Patients?

You’re doing everything you can to prevent coronavirus.

Washing your hands.

Ordering your groceries online.

Watching church online.

Waving at your grandkids through paned-glass windows.

I sincerely hope this virus hasn’t—and doesn’t—personally impact you and your loved ones.

But in the event that it does, scientists have found out something that could give you a better chance of surviving it.

And it’s something I’ve been advocating for years.

Could something as simple as vitamin D levels mean the difference between life and death from the COVID-19?

According to researchers at Northwestern University, there’s a good chance it could.

The researchers looked at data from hospitals and clinics all over the world—including China, France, Germany, Italy, Iran, South Korea, Spain, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

After analyzing all of the data, they determined that patients from countries with HIGHER mortality rates had LOWER levels of vitamin D.

But they found out something else that’s just as important… There was also a strong connection between vitamin D levels and the true, underlying problem killing COVID-19 patients.

Something called the cytokine storm.

A cytokine storm is tsunami of inflammation caused by an OVERactive immune response.

It’s called a cytokine storm because cytokines are what produce the inflammation in the body.

As researchers peel back the layers of this virus, they’re learning that it’s not just the destruction of the lungs that’s killing people… it’s complications from an overreaction of the immune system.

The cytokine storm is what’s severely damaging the lungs, and leading to acute respiratory distress, and ultimately, death.

Interestingly, in addition to the connection between mortality rates and vitamin D levels, the researchers also found a strong correlation between vitamin D levels and this deadly cytokine storm.

The connection makes sense, since vitamin D has been proven to help regulate the production of inflammatory cytokines and other immune cells.

Does this mean that high levels of vitamin D will definitely protect you from contracting COVID-19—or from dying from it?

Sadly, no.

But it does add one more very good reason to make sure your levels of D are where they’re supposed to be—about 60 ng/ml.

To get them there, spend plenty of time in the sun, eat lots of vitamin D foods like fatty fish, and if you need to, take a supplement.