Vitamin C May Help Severe Covid-19 Cases, Finds New Zealand-Led Review

Vitamin C may help treat patients with severe cases of Covid-19, according to a review led by Kiwi.

But the University of Otago researcher behind the study, just published in the scientific journal Nutrients, emphasizes that larger studies are needed to provide more certainty, and that vitamin C should not be seen as something that can prevent or cure coronavirus.

Its role in treating Covid-19 has been focused around the world since the pandemic began, with a large number of randomized clinical trials ongoing.

Otago associate professor Anitra Carr has been monitoring the studies and said there were some promising indications that vitamin C could be used as an “adjunctive” treatment, or one that complements a main therapy.

He said the foundation had already been laid thanks to decades of research on the role of vitamin C in the prevention and treatment of pneumonia and sepsis.

A 2017 study found that treatment with high doses of intravenous vitamin C, along with thiamine and corticosteroids, appeared to prevent deaths among people with sepsis, which is an overwhelming response to infection that causes dangerously low blood pressure and organ failure. .

Another study published last year evaluated the effect of high-dose vitamin C infusions in patients with severe infections who had sepsis and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), in which the lungs filled with fluid.

While the main outcomes of that study did not improve during the first four days of vitamin C therapy, there was a lower mortality rate at 28 days among treated patients.

Although none of these studies examined the use of vitamin C in patients with Covid-19, sepsis and ARDS are the most common conditions leading to ICU admission, ventilator support, or death among people with severe infections from it. Covid-19.

“A recent study that came out of the US showed that coronavirus patients in the ICU with Covid-19 also had very low levels of vitamin C,” Carr said.

“That’s because the body chews a lot more when it gets an infection, and its needs increase significantly.

“But the standard doses given in the intensive care unit are not enough to compensate, given that a severe case of the disease comes with a huge inflammatory response and oxidative stress.”

By giving vitamin C intravenously, he said, high doses could reach the body quickly.

“This is essential, since all patients need these high doses quickly, because, on the brink of death, you need to reduce the disease as much as possible.”

It could also give doctors more time to act, he said.

Among the preliminary data that had emerged from a series of trials in hospitals around the world was that of a small study conducted in Wuhan, China, where the pandemic began.

“That showed that, in people who had the most severe cases of coronavirus disease, or with the most damage and organ failure, that group responded to vitamin C, with less mortality compared to those who received a placebo. “, said.

“This is just the first study, and many more will come out over the next year. Each will add more pieces to the puzzle, but I suspect it will help these patients based on previous work with pneumonia and sepsis.”

Outside of the clinical space, the pandemic has also sparked interest in vitamin C among consumers.

Here in New Zealand, sales of oranges, kiwis and supplements have increased, something the citrus industry has attributed to kiwis trying to stay healthy amid the Covid-19 crisis.

Some have mistakenly turned to the vitamin as a cure for Covid: On social media, misleading claims that a large intravenous dose of vitamin C can “stop Covid-19” have spread widely.

While standard doses of vitamin C are generally harmless, taking high doses runs the risk of causing a number of side effects, such as an increased risk of kidney stones in people who are already susceptible to that condition.

Ultimately, there was no evidence that taking vitamin C could help prevent infection, but Carr said that taking adequate amounts could benefit some people.

“Some research has shown that more stress increases the risk of infection, so in these people vitamin C may lower the risk of getting it,” Carr said.

“But in the general daily population, who are not under extreme physical stress, their chances of contracting the disease may not decrease.”

However, the vitamin has been shown to reduce the duration and severity of infections in the general population.

This could potentially slow the progression of an infection to more serious conditions, such as sepsis, that require admission to the ICU.