The Role of Zinc in Predicting the Severity of COVID-19
It’s been over a year since the beginning
of the Covid-19 pandemic, and we’ve certainly all learned a lot about
this dangerous disease already. One question that keeps being brought up
in both public and academic settings is, “Which factors predict the
severity of Covid-19?” We all know that age and underlying health
conditions play a certain role, but beyond that, little is known on the
topic.
Meanwhile, a significant number of individuals of comparable age and
health status who contracted the virus exhibit a broad spectrum of
health outcomes. A recent study that appears in the journal Nutrients
suggests that low zinc levels may account for some of these unexpected
severe cases of Covid-19. Read on to learn more about the link between
zinc and Covid-19 infections.
The role of zinc in the human body
We all need zinc to stay healthy. In fact,
this essential mineral is involved in several key functions in the human
body: wound healing, cell growth and division, the breakdown of
carbohydrates, and DNA synthesis. Notably, zinc also plays a crucial
role in immune health.
The mineral has both antiviral and
anti-inflammatory properties, so it’s essential for maintaining the
body’s defense against viruses specifically. Therefore, it’s logical to
assume that low zinc levels could contribute to one’s risk of severe
Covid-19 and hinder the recovery process. Interestingly, the category of
people who have a higher risk of having low levels of zinc is senior
citizens, the same age group that is disproportionately affected by the
novel coronavirus.
All these factors combined prompted the researchers at the Hospital del
Mar Medical Research Institute and the Pompeu Fabra University (both in
Spain) to investigate the correlation between the severity and
progression of Covid-19 and zinc blood levels.
Dr. Robert Güerri-Fernández, one of the
authors of the study, explained the mission of the study in a statement,
“Zinc is an essential element for maintaining a variety of biological
processes, and altering its levels causes increased susceptibility to
infections and increased inflammatory response. […] zinc levels and zinc
supplementation may prove useful tools to tackle the COVID-19 crisis.”
More about the study below.
Can zinc levels influence the progression
of COVID-19?
Since zinc is involved in the immune response and curbs inflammation in
the body, the researchers hypothesized that people with low zinc levels
could suffer from more severe forms of Covid-19 and possibly even stay
sick for a longer period of time.
To test this idea, they looked at the data from 249 adult COVID-19
patients hospitalized between March 9 and April 1, 2020. 28% of the
study participants were admitted to the intensive care unit, and 9%
sadly passed away at the hospital.
The researchers took blood zinc levels of each patient when they were
admitted to the hospital. Of all the patients in the study, 23% had low
zinc levels. These patients were more likely to have severe COVID-19 and
higher levels of inflammatory markers in their blood than their
counterparts with adequate zinc levels. Moreover, participants with low
zinc levels had a mortality rate of 21% whereas those with healthy zinc
levels had a 5% chance to pass as a result of COVID-19.
What’s more, those with normal zinc levels
recovered 3 times faster than participants with low zinc levels - an
average of 8 days and 25 days, respectively. These results seem to
suggest that zinc deficiency increases one’s risks of severe COVID-19
and slows down recovery.
To follow up on their findings, the researchers also conducted an
in-vitro study confirming that higher zinc concentrations can indeed
reduce the replication of the novel coronavirus. As Dr. Güerri-Fernández
concluded in the study, “We have shown the importance of zinc levels in
patients’ blood as an additional predictor of outcome in COVID-19, as
well as its potential as a therapeutic tool for treatment.”
Even though this study is considered quite small, so we cannot draw any
definitive conclusions about it, it certainly urges us to be more
mindful of our nutrition habits, just in case. Since the human body
cannot produce zinc on its own, we should definitely make sure that we
get enough of this mineral from our diet, especially now.
Some foods that include plenty of zinc are pumpkin seeds, chocolate,
turkey, egg yolks, and beef. Lastly, if you know that you have a zinc
deficiency, or suspect that you do, consult your doctor on the
possibility of supplementation.