Micronutrient status of COVID-19 patients: a critical consideration

Excerpt

As the novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic continues to grip the world, ongoing research is highlighting the factors associated with higher risk of severe morbidity and mortality. These factors include older age, male, and comorbidities, including obesity [1]. Relatively little attention, however, is paid to the micronutrient status of COVID-19 patients. Micronutrients are vitamins and specific minerals that are critical to the proper structure and functioning of numerous proteins, enzymes, physiological processes, and signaling pathways within the body. Without these micronutrients, these essential processes cease to function properly, and this contributes to morbidity and, in cases of severe deficiency, mortality. …