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And that's why I've been taking Vitamin D pills for the past 6 months. (It's been suspected for some time to have an effect) This doesn't mean go outside and g

And that's why I've been taking Vitamin D pills for the past 6 months. (It's been suspected for some time to have an effect) This doesn't mean go outside and get covid.

dgellow 6y ago
You can always go outside to locations that aren't crowded.
arkitaip 6y ago
I've been taking Vitamin D3 5000 IU and Vitamin K2 MK-7 100 mcg daily since February to boost my immune system, and I've noticed a radical difference in my colds. I used to get a major cold every 2-3 month and they were really bad lasting two weeks with fever, fatigue, coughs, colds, really stuffy nose, etc. Now? The two colds I've had were over in a week and the symptoms were so incredibly mild - mostly a light runny nose - that I'm legit grateful when I get a cold. Regardless of vitamin D's effect on covid-19, the supplement has already paid off big time as far as I'm concerned. I've started to take 1g of vitamin C for the same reason, i.e. to boost my immune system. I should add that I live in a Nordic country with long dark winters and that I can't/don't go outside as much as I should.
- outworlder 6y ago
  Vitamin C is fine. Careful with Vitamin D. When you get a chance, go see your doctor and ask him to check your vitamin D levels. Don't forget to tell them you are taking suplements.
- ouid 6y ago
  Don't really know why you haven't found the most obvious explanation for why you've gotten fewer colds.
  - arkitaip 6y ago
    Obviously thought about that but the intensity of the colds is way different.
  - ReflectedImage 6y ago
    Vitamin D has a direct effect on colds. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5949172/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5949172/
    - ColanR 6y ago
      Another study to back you up: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16959053/ https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16959053/
    - ouid 6y ago
      Ok, but you know what has a really really direct effect on colds? I swear, it's like people don't understand why we measure R_t. propagation is sigmoidal phenomenon. A reduction in transmission by 10% can easily lead to a reduction in prevalence by nearly 100%.
- bosswipe 6y ago
  I would guess that the social measures to combat covid have also had a big effect on the circulation of cold and flu viruses.
- JabavuAdams 6y ago
  Are you sure you just aren't getting colds because of better hygiene, and less contact with others? Without controlling for social distancing, you can't reasonably conclude that it was the vitamin D. I haven't had a cold since we initially locked-down in April, which is very unusual for me, but completely explained by social distancing.
  - ColanR 6y ago
    > you can't reasonably conclude that it was the vitamin D. Except you can, because that is the conclusion of at least one other study of the effect of Vitamin D. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16959053/ https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16959053/
  - arkitaip 6y ago
    Oh I absolutely believe that social distancing and better hygiene are the reasons why I've gotten so few colds this year but those actions can't fully explain the decrease in severity. My colds have gone from being absolutely miserable to barely noticeable and are over in a week or less. I could be totally wrong but I'm not willing to remove vitamin d/k/c from my diet just to validate the hypothesis.
- cactus2093 6y ago
  Just some random suggestions from someone on the internet, but colds don't usually cause fevers, so if you've been getting sick with a fever every 2-3 months you may want to get that checked out. It's also surprising that you've gotten 2 colds in the past few months when it sounds like you have been taking precautions due to covid-19. Seems like any exposure where you could catch a cold could easily have been Covid-19 instead, so you may want to re-evaluate your mask use, physical distancing, and hygiene practices.
outworlder 6y ago
Be careful. Vitamin D is a hormone and is not risk-free. Unless you have been prescribed by your doctor. In general, be careful with any fat-soluble "vitamins", as they can build up.
- 131012 6y ago
  A few days ago, a blog post by a physician was stressing this same point. She was suggesting to be especially cautious with high doses.
  - ReflectedImage 6y ago
    High doses don't have much of a health benefit either. It's low doses on a daily basis. Through in the UK the NHS were handing out high doses of Vitamin D like cotton candy last winter.
- BurningFrog 6y ago
  A daily dose of 2000-4000 is enough and is very safe. 42% of Americans are deficient, much more the darker your skin is. https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/vitamin-d-deficiency-symptoms https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/vitamin-d-deficiency-sy...
  - andy_ppp 6y ago
    Could help explain why COVID-19 is much more severe (on average) if you’re black...
    - BurningFrog 6y ago
      It's definitely a factor!
  - rrrrrrrrrrrryan 6y ago
    The literature states 1000-2000 is safe for basically anyone, but you really shouldn't be taking more than that without actually going to a doctor and getting your deficiency confirmed. Just because you have darker skin, it doesn't mean taking a higher oral dose won't cause other issues. IIRC daily doses above 2000 over a longer timespan can (infrequently) cause your vitamin B12 levels to fall off, and/or the amount of calcium in your blood to build up, so your doctor might want to schedule a follow-up appointment after some time has passed to make sure those levels still look okay, and adjust supplements for those variables accordingly.
JabavuAdams 6y ago
You should almost certainly be going outside for the other health benefits. There's very little risk of transmission if you're outside and 2m away from other people, even if intermittently you're closer than that. Even more so if one or the other of you is masked. Places to be more concerned about are bottlenecks like lobbies and elevators on the way to/from outside.
- azinman2 6y ago
  My understanding is that it hasn’t been shown for elevators. I think this is because of the required time to breathe in a minimal viral load. Do you have evidence otherwise?
  - icedchai 6y ago
    You're in a confined space, breathing the same air as other people. Also, given the frequent traffic of elevators, consider what you may breath in from previous occupants. This sounds risky to me. I hate touching elevator buttons during normal times. I'd wear masks and gloves.
  - JabavuAdams 6y ago
    No evidence, just caution.
  - andy_ppp 6y ago
    Yes I heard planes as well surprisingly safe relative to choir practice. Environments where lots of droplets are created are less safe...
    - azinman2 6y ago
      My understanding is that planes have very effective air filtration and movement systems. Choir practice likely would not, and involved people generating aerosols continuously.
    - notatoad 6y ago
      planes have two things going for them: good air circulation with filtration, and mask-wearing is well enforced.

And that's why I've been taking Vitamin D pills for the past 6 months. (It's been suspected for some time to have an effect) This doesn't mean go outside and get covid.

dgellow 6y ago

You can always go outside to locations that aren't crowded.

arkitaip 6y ago

I've been taking Vitamin D3 5000 IU and Vitamin K2 MK-7 100 mcg daily since February to boost my immune system, and I've noticed a radical difference in my colds. I used to get a major cold every 2-3 month and they were really bad lasting two weeks with fever, fatigue, coughs, colds, really stuffy nose, etc. Now? The two colds I've had were over in a week and the symptoms were so incredibly mild - mostly a light runny nose - that I'm legit grateful when I get a cold. Regardless of vitamin D's effect on covid-19, the supplement has already paid off big time as far as I'm concerned. I've started to take 1g of vitamin C for the same reason, i.e. to boost my immune system. I should add that I live in a Nordic country with long dark winters and that I can't/don't go outside as much as I should.

outworlder 6y ago
Vitamin C is fine. Careful with Vitamin D. When you get a chance, go see your doctor and ask him to check your vitamin D levels. Don't forget to tell them you are taking suplements.
ouid 6y ago
Don't really know why you haven't found the most obvious explanation for why you've gotten fewer colds.
- arkitaip 6y ago
  Obviously thought about that but the intensity of the colds is way different.
- ReflectedImage 6y ago
  Vitamin D has a direct effect on colds. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5949172/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5949172/
  - ColanR 6y ago
    Another study to back you up: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16959053/ https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16959053/
  - ouid 6y ago
    Ok, but you know what has a really really direct effect on colds? I swear, it's like people don't understand why we measure R_t. propagation is sigmoidal phenomenon. A reduction in transmission by 10% can easily lead to a reduction in prevalence by nearly 100%.
bosswipe 6y ago
I would guess that the social measures to combat covid have also had a big effect on the circulation of cold and flu viruses.
JabavuAdams 6y ago
Are you sure you just aren't getting colds because of better hygiene, and less contact with others? Without controlling for social distancing, you can't reasonably conclude that it was the vitamin D. I haven't had a cold since we initially locked-down in April, which is very unusual for me, but completely explained by social distancing.
- ColanR 6y ago
  > you can't reasonably conclude that it was the vitamin D. Except you can, because that is the conclusion of at least one other study of the effect of Vitamin D. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16959053/ https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16959053/
- arkitaip 6y ago
  Oh I absolutely believe that social distancing and better hygiene are the reasons why I've gotten so few colds this year but those actions can't fully explain the decrease in severity. My colds have gone from being absolutely miserable to barely noticeable and are over in a week or less. I could be totally wrong but I'm not willing to remove vitamin d/k/c from my diet just to validate the hypothesis.
cactus2093 6y ago
Just some random suggestions from someone on the internet, but colds don't usually cause fevers, so if you've been getting sick with a fever every 2-3 months you may want to get that checked out. It's also surprising that you've gotten 2 colds in the past few months when it sounds like you have been taking precautions due to covid-19. Seems like any exposure where you could catch a cold could easily have been Covid-19 instead, so you may want to re-evaluate your mask use, physical distancing, and hygiene practices.

outworlder 6y ago

Be careful. Vitamin D is a hormone and is not risk-free. Unless you have been prescribed by your doctor. In general, be careful with any fat-soluble "vitamins", as they can build up.

131012 6y ago
A few days ago, a blog post by a physician was stressing this same point. She was suggesting to be especially cautious with high doses.
- ReflectedImage 6y ago
  High doses don't have much of a health benefit either. It's low doses on a daily basis. Through in the UK the NHS were handing out high doses of Vitamin D like cotton candy last winter.
BurningFrog 6y ago
A daily dose of 2000-4000 is enough and is very safe. 42% of Americans are deficient, much more the darker your skin is. https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/vitamin-d-deficiency-symptoms https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/vitamin-d-deficiency-sy...
- andy_ppp 6y ago
  Could help explain why COVID-19 is much more severe (on average) if you’re black...
  - BurningFrog 6y ago
    It's definitely a factor!
- rrrrrrrrrrrryan 6y ago
  The literature states 1000-2000 is safe for basically anyone, but you really shouldn't be taking more than that without actually going to a doctor and getting your deficiency confirmed. Just because you have darker skin, it doesn't mean taking a higher oral dose won't cause other issues. IIRC daily doses above 2000 over a longer timespan can (infrequently) cause your vitamin B12 levels to fall off, and/or the amount of calcium in your blood to build up, so your doctor might want to schedule a follow-up appointment after some time has passed to make sure those levels still look okay, and adjust supplements for those variables accordingly.

JabavuAdams 6y ago

You should almost certainly be going outside for the other health benefits. There's very little risk of transmission if you're outside and 2m away from other people, even if intermittently you're closer than that. Even more so if one or the other of you is masked. Places to be more concerned about are bottlenecks like lobbies and elevators on the way to/from outside.

azinman2 6y ago
My understanding is that it hasn’t been shown for elevators. I think this is because of the required time to breathe in a minimal viral load. Do you have evidence otherwise?
- icedchai 6y ago
  You're in a confined space, breathing the same air as other people. Also, given the frequent traffic of elevators, consider what you may breath in from previous occupants. This sounds risky to me. I hate touching elevator buttons during normal times. I'd wear masks and gloves.
- JabavuAdams 6y ago
  No evidence, just caution.
- andy_ppp 6y ago
  Yes I heard planes as well surprisingly safe relative to choir practice. Environments where lots of droplets are created are less safe...
  - azinman2 6y ago
    My understanding is that planes have very effective air filtration and movement systems. Choir practice likely would not, and involved people generating aerosols continuously.
  - notatoad 6y ago
    planes have two things going for them: good air circulation with filtration, and mask-wearing is well enforced.