12/06/2020
By this point, you've likely heard that vitamin D may be helpful in preventing adverse symptoms from COVID-19, as it's known to support the immune system. However, there are several other vitamins and minerals that help strengthen immunity, one of which is known as cobalamin, or vitamin B12.
However, having a B12 deficiency right now can be a serious problem. In fact, it "may unknowingly increase the death rate of this pandemic, especially in older adults," says Sally M. Pacholok, RN, BSN, an ER nurse who's currently caring for COVID-19 patients, and the co-author of Could It Be B12? An Epidemic of Misdiagnoses.
A B12 deficiency is often misdiagnosed, yet the consequences of it can be fatalβespecially for those who have contracted coronavirus and are already at high risk, Pacholok says. Inadequate B12 levels can suppress the immune system and inhibit the body's ability to produce antibodies to viral infections. Severe deficiencies can even cause hyperhomocysteinemia, a condition that can cause fatal blood clots to form in the brain, lungs, and lower leg.
More people suffer from low vitamin B12 levels than you may think. In fact, Pacholok says that as many as 1 in 6 are deficient. "B12 deficiency strikes all ages, races, and socioeconomic classes," she says.
Unfortunately, this deficiency has been overlooked when determining the cause of death from COVID-19, as clinicians fail to screen for it in both at-risk and symptomatic patients. Still, the CDC says that "vitamin B12 deficiency can be detected and diagnosed quite easily," yet it remains underdiagnosed.
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