Behind the scenes at the Coronavit trial

The striking overlap between risk factors for severe covid-19 and those for vitamin D deficiency—older age, obesity, and black or South Asian ethnic origin—rang alarm bells in the vitamin D research community from the earliest days of the pandemic in the UK. Laboratory experiments had shown that vitamin D boosted innate responses to other respiratory viruses in cell culture, while our meta-analyses of randomised controlled trials found that supplements reduced the risk of acute respiratory infections in the pre-covid era.12 It seemed possible—likely, even—that the same might apply for covid-19.Given the potential benefits and low risk of taking vitamin D, our initial instinct was to promote, rather than to evaluate, widespread supplementation. A major international micronutrient company offered to supply all NHS staff with free vitamin D supplements. When individual NHS trusts were approached to discuss implementation of this proposal, however, enthusiasm was limited: occupational health departments raised concerns about…
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