VITAMIN D UPDATE: Reader Stephen Goldstein sends this:UVB Activation of AMPs Production in the Skin and the Innate Respiratory Immunity. He writes:

I’m writing this evening about Vitamin D and the Covid virus. You’ve posted quite a few pieces on this subject, enough so that a while back I went back to taking a Vitamin D supplement even though I was not deficient by any measure . . . an abundance of caution, as they say.

My key takeaway: while there is very strong correlation between “better” Covid 19 outcomes and Vitamin D levels, the cause for these better outcomes is, likely, the availability of Antimicrobial Peptides (AMPs) that are produced along with Vitamin D in the skin on exposure to UV-B.

This is important because, if true, it means that Vitamin D supplements are not a substitute for sunlight, UV-B, in particular.

So, is the Covid case “spike” the result of citizens failing to wear masks and “social distance?” Or is it an example of the seasonal susceptibility commonly observed with respiratory viruses as some predicted this past summer.

I surely don’t Know but it seems plausible that lower exposure to sunlight (a combination of reduced daylight, lower sun and more cold weather clothing) contributes to the problem. Which, sadly, would mean that things could be quite bad for the next 90 days, or so.

To be fair, I sent the piece to a retired Pulmonologist friend. I asked him about these “AMPs” vs Vitamin D. He was not persuaded, reiterating the need to take the Vitamin D supplements.

I think it’s wise to embrace the power of “and” here. There’s been some reason to think that the process of making Vitamin D from sunlight has benefits distinct from those inhering in the Vitamin D itself, but Vitamin D also has benefits. And realistically, unless you’re a roofer or something it’s hard to get enough Vitamin D from sunlight. And the idea that the coronavirus has some degree of seasonality due to fluctuating Vitamin D levels seems plausible.