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Washington, February 16
Taking zinc or vitamin C supplements does not significantly decrease the severity or duration of symptoms in COVID-19 patients, compared to standard care, according to a study.
Researchers at the Cleveland Clinic in the US noted that zinc is known to be important for immune function, with a role in the production of antibodies and white blood cells and in fighting infection.
Vitamin C, an antioxidant, can help reduce damage to cells and has been shown to boost the immune system, they said.
The COVIDAtoZ clinical trial included 214 adult patients with a confirmed COVID-19 infection. Participants received 10 days of zinc gluconate (50 mg), vitamin C (8000 mg), both agents, or standard care from April 2020 to October 2020.
The study, published in the JAMA Open Network journal, found no significant differences between the four groups. With a 50 percent reduction in symptoms, the study showed no significant difference between usual care, vitamin C, zinc gluconate, or the group that received both vitamin C and zinc gluconate.
“When we started this trial, there was no research supporting add-on therapy for the prevention or treatment of patients with COVID-19,” said Milind Desai, of the Heart Vascular & Thoracic Institute at Cleveland Clinic and co-principal investigator on the study.
“As we watched the pandemic spread around the world, infecting and killing millions, the medical community and consumers were quick to try supplements that they believed could possibly prevent infection or alleviate symptoms of COVID-19, but the research It’s catching up. ”Desai said.
“While vitamin C and zinc have been shown to be ineffective as treatment when compared clinically with standard care, the study of other therapies continues,” he said.
The patients enrolled in this study were not hospitalized, but were treated on an outpatient basis.
“We know that not all COVID-19 patients require hospital admission and compared to those receiving treatment in a hospital setting they are more likely to seek supplements that can help them, so it was an important population to study.” said Suma Thomas, of the Heart Vascular & Thoracic Institute at Cleveland Clinic and co-principal investigator on the study.
The researchers said a total of four safety events were observed during the trial, including three deaths. However, the data safety monitoring board did not consider any of the adverse events to be caused by individual treatments that patients received as part of the study. PTI
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