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Licensed Unlicensed Requires Authentication Published by De Gruyter February 4, 2021

COVID-19 and nutritional deficiency: a review of existing knowledge

  • Meghana Muthuvattur Pallath , Ashok Kumar Ahirwar EMAIL logo , Satyendra Chandra Tripathi , Priyanka Asia , Apurva Sakarde and Niranjan Gopal

Abstract

COVID-19 has resulted in an ongoing global pandemic, which spread largely among people who have had close contact with the infected person. The immunopathology of the SARS-CoV-2 virus includes the production of an excess amount of pro-inflammatory cytokines “a cytokine-storm”. The respiratory system (main), cardiovascular system and the gastrointestinal tract are the most affected body systems during viral infection. It has been found that most of the patients who require admission to hospital are elderly or have chronic underlying diseases. Higher cases of malnutrition and co-morbidities like diabetes mellitus and cardiovascular diseases are reported in elderly patients due to which, the immune system weakens and hence, the response to the virus is diminished in magnitude. A deficiency of micronutrients results in impaired immune responses leading to improper secretion of cytokines, alterations in secretory antibody response and antibody affinity which increases susceptibility to viral infection. The deficiency of various micronutrients in COVID-19 patient can be treated by appropriate nutritional supplements, prescribed after evaluating the patients’ nutritional status. Here we aim to highlight the role of a few particular nutrients namely Vitamin D, Vitamin C, Omega-3 fatty acids, Zinc and Magnesium along with the synergistic roles they play in enhancing immunity and thus, maintaining homeostasis.


Corresponding author: Dr. Ashok Kumar Ahirwar, MD, Assistant Professor, Department of Biochemistry, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Nagpur, Maharashtra, 441108, India, Phone: +919654210832, E-mail:

  1. Research funding: None declared.

  2. Author contributions: All authors have accepted responsibility for the entire content of this manuscript and approved its submission.

  3. Competing interests: Authors state no conflict of interest.

  4. Informed consent: Not applicable.

  5. Ethical approval: Not applicable.

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Received: 2020-10-16
Accepted: 2021-01-20
Published Online: 2021-02-04

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