Abstract
There is an urgent need to assess risk factors affecting individual likelihood of contracting the novel SARS-CoV-2 virus, and development of COVID-19. One potential risk factor is vitamin D deficiency(Reference Lanham-New1). Vitamin D is important for immune defence against pathogens as it promotes macrophage antimicrobial responses and the regulation of antigen-presenting dendritic cells and suppressor T-cells(Reference Hewison2). However, it is unclear whether 25(OH)D concentration is associated with risk of contracting SARS-CoV-2 and/or developing COVID-19.
We aimed to assess whether there is an association between serum 25(OH)D status and odds of testing positive for SARS-CoV-2, when controlling for confounders such as body mass index (BMI) and ethnicity.