News: Black individuals with low vitamin D twice as likely to contract COVID-19

A study of just over 4,500 people found that Black individuals with vitamin D levels below 40 ng/mL were 2.64 times more likely to test positive for COVID-19 than those with vitamin D levels above 40 ng/mL.

The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) published study found that the odds of testing positive for COVID-19 in Black individuals with low levels of vitamin D decreased by 5% per 1-ng/mL increase in level among individuals with a vitamin D level of 30 ng/mL or greater.

The study notes that there were no statistically significant association of vitamin D levels with COVID-19 positivity rates in white individuals.

Researchers say that the findings “suggest that randomized clinical trials to determine whether increasing vitamin D levels to greater than 30 to 40 ng/mL affect COVID-19 risk are warranted, especially in Black individuals.”

Editor’s note: The JAMA published study can be found here. ACDIS insight into the state of minorities and COVID-19 can be found here.