VITAMIN D UPDATE: More than 80 per cent of hospitalized COVID-19 patients had vitamin D deficiency. “For the study, the 216 hospitalized patients’ vitamin D levels were compared to those of a control group of 197 people of similar age and sex from a population-based cohort in the same geographical area. . . . The study’s authors were particularly interested in studying vitamin D because they said there’s evidence to suggest it plays a role in COVID-19 infection. Vitamin D is a hormone produced by the kidneys, which controls blood calcium concentration and affects the function of the immune system. Vitamin D deficiency has also been linked to health concerns including heart disease, diabetes, cancer, and multiple sclerosis. According to the study, there is also ‘compelling evidence’ for an epidemiological association between low levels of vitamin D and infections such as influenza, HIV, and the hepatitis C virus.”