MORE than 100 scientists and doctors have launched a bid for the Scottish and UK Governments to promote a public health message about taking vitamin D in the fight against Covid-19 as like wearing a face mask.

In their open letter they say even high doses of the vitamin are safe and evidence shows that people with low levels are more likely to become critically ill and require intensive hospital care.

The letter argues: “Decades of safety data show that vitamin D has very low risk ... The risk of insufficient levels far outweighs any risk from levels that seem to provide most of the protection against Covid-19 ... Vitamin D’s safety is more like that of face masks. There is no need to wait for further clinical trials to increase use of something so safe.”

Their letter points out that rather than the 400 IU dose – which the UK Government is offering to people who are shielding – significantly higher doses are required of the vitamin, which they say is cheap.

The following specific recommendations are among the measures they want implemented:

- Recommend to adults vitamin D intake of 4000 IU daily

- Recommend that adults at increased risk of deficiency due to excess weight, dark skin, or living in care homes may need higher intakes (eg double the above dose).

- Recommend that adults not already receiving the above amounts get 10,000 IU daily for two to three weeks, followed by the daily amount.

The letter, published in The National today, says a dose of 3875 IU has been shown to bring almost 98% of people up to the required level in their bodies while raising it to 6200 IU would ensure people’s levels exceed the minimum guidelines.

Known as the sunshine vitamin, vitamin D is produced in the skin by exposing the body to 10-15 minutes of sun a day, however, many people in the northern hemisphere, especially in winter, suffer from a deficiency.

This deficiency can be treated by supplements and eating certain foods such as eggs, liver and oily fish – such as salmon or mackerel – as well as fortified foods such as cereals and dairy products.

Doctors and scientists believe it can prevent the most critical stage of Covid-19 when the patient’s immune system goes into overdrive and the body shutdowns.

“Rates [of deficiency] are even higher in winter, and several groups have notably worse deficiency: the overweight, those with dark skin ... and care home residents. These same groups face increased Covid-19 risk.” said the open letter.

“Evidence suggests the possibility that the Covid-19 pandemic sustains itself in large part through infection of those with low vitamin D, and that deaths are concentrated largely in those with deficiency ... Evidence indicates that increased vitamin D would help reduce infections, hospitalisations, ICU admissions and deaths.”