ArticleBMC infectious diseases2026
Association between serum vitamins and COVID-19 infection: a cross-sectional study of healthcare workers in a Nigerian tertiary hospital.
Article in BMC infectious diseases, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
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Abstract
backgroundAlthough the global burden of COVID-19 has significantly decreased, understanding the role of micronutrients in modulating immune responses to SARS-CoV-2, especially among vulnerable populations like the healthcare workers, remains very important. This study assessed the association between serum vitamin levels and COVID-19 infection in this high-risk group in a Nigerian tertiary hospital. METHODOLOGY: A cross-sectional hospital-based study involving 181 apparently healthy healthcare workers with varying degrees of exposure to COVID-19 patients was carried out over a 6-week period in February to March 2022. Data were collected using an interviewer-administered pretested, semi-structured questionnaire. Socio-demographic data and venous blood of all participants were collected for biochemical assay of both fat- and water-soluble vitamins A, D, E, K, and Vitamins B1, B2, B5, B6, B9, B12 and C, respectively, using high-performance liquid chromatography. Data were analysed using IBM IPSS version 25.
resultsThe prevalence of PCR-confirmed COVID-19 infection was 23.2%. Slightly more than half (99; 54.7%) were below forty years of age. COVID-19 positive individuals had significantly lower mean serum levels of fat-soluble vitamins compared to their COVID-19 negative counterparts, as follows; A (37.31 µg/dL vs. 44.57 µg/dL, p = 0.003), D (42.03 ng/mL vs. 50.59 ng/mL, p = 0.024), and E (0.84 mg/dL vs. 1.01 mg/dL, p = 0.019), and water-soluble vitamins B1 (106.02 nmol/L vs. 136.51 nmol/L, p < 0.001), B2 (52.89 ng/mL vs. 69.56 ng/mL, p = 0.003), B5 (5.54 ng/mL vs. 7.74 ng/mL, p < 0.001), B6 (18.31 ng/mL vs. 25.02 ng/mL, p < 0.001), B9 (11.34 ng/mL vs. 13.92 ng/mL, p = 0.002), and C (0.63 mg/dL vs. 0.78 mg/dL, p = 0.007). Vitamins K and B12 were not significantly different between the two groups.
conclusionsThis study identified an association between lower serum levels of fat-soluble vitamins A, D, and E, and most water-soluble vitamins with COVID-19 infection in healthcare workers. While further research is needed, these findings suggest the potential usefulness of micronutrient intervention to reduce vulnerability to COVID-19 and related infections. CLINICAL TRIAL NUMBER: Not applicable.
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