African Americans and other minorities with darker skin are more likely to have Vitamin D deficiency because melanin prevents the production of Vitamin D in the skin.
Other risk factors for developing vitamin D deficiency are elderly nursing home residents who do not get much sun exposure; those with chronic liver and kidney disease as well as obesity.
Vitamin D may also play a role in protecting against other conditions such as heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, falls in older people, immune system disorders and infections, particularly upper respiratory infections.
It is believed that persons with vitamin D deficiency are more at risk of developing COVID-19 and experiencing severe complications due to a weakened immune response.
Even though a direct cause and effect relationship between COVID-19 and Vitamin D deficiency has not been established, it has been observed that vitamin D deficiency has been are more common in the high risk populations which have been disproportionately affected by coronavirus.
