Tldr; it might help to take zinc.

Out of 249 studied patients, there was 8% (21 patients) mortality. The investigators found a significantly lower plasma level of zinc in COVID-19 patients who died (43 μg/dl) than the patients who survived (63.1 μg/dl). After adjusting different variables, the investigators showed each unit increase of plasma zinc at the time of hospital admission resulted in a 7% reduced risk of in-hospital mortality.

  • @pancake
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    42 years ago

    Zinc deficiency increases the risk for all sorts of infections, as the article states, including COVID-19. But this is nothing new: keeping a healthy, balanced diet and getting enough of all nutrients is important for everything in health.

  • @pingvenoM
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    32 years ago

    Big maybe, since this is a correlation. Supplementation could have no effect. It is also pales in comparison to the effect of vaccinations.

    • @sheesh
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      12 years ago

      It might aswell indicate that severe COVID causes reduced levels of zinc. Correlations need to be tested experimentally (e.g., like the vaccines).

      • @pingvenoM
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        12 years ago

        Exactly. This is a preliminary study, and I’m worried that like with so many preliminary studies the anti-vaxxers will run with it as a substitute for vaccination.

    • @gun
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      12 years ago

      You can get zinc in the right food. And mineral supplements are in such small quantities I don’t see demand overwhelming the supply.