Influenza of 1918 and vitamin D - July 2010

The possible roles of solar ultraviolet-B radiation and vitamin D in reducing case-fatality rates from the 1918-1919 influenza pandemic in the United States.

Dermatoendocrinol. 2009 Jul;1(4):215-9.
Grant WB, Giovannucci E.

Deaths during the 1918-1919 influenza pandemic have been linked to both the influenza virus and secondary bacterial lung infections. Case fatality rates and percentage of influenza cases complicated by pneumonia were available from survey data for twelve United States locations in the 1918-1919 pandemic. This study analyzes case fatality rates and cases complicated by pneumonia with respect to estimated summertime and wintertime solar ultraviolet-B (UVB) doses as indicators of population mean vitamin D status. Substantial correlations were found for associations of July UVB dose with case fatality rates (r = -0.72, p = 0.009) and rates of pneumonia as a complication of influenza (r = -0.77, p = 0.005). Similar results were found for wintertime UVB. Vitamin D upregulates production of human cathelicidin, LL-37, which has both antimicrobial and antiendotoxin activities. Vitamin D also reduces the production of proinflammatory cytokines, which could also explain some of the benefit of vitamin D since H1N1 infection gives rise to a cytokine storm. The potential role of vitamin D status in reducing secondary bacterial infections and loss of life in pandemic influence requires further evaluation. PMID: 20592793

CLICK HERE for PDF of 2010
94 citations on Google Scholar as of Aug 2020

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Surgeon General of Mass in 1918 noticed that infected people getting more sunlight had a better outcome

They had set up overflow tents outside of the hospital

CLICK HERE for PDF from 1918

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See also Vitamin D Life

• All items in category Virus 379 items
• Viral infection reduced 90 percent with 2000 IU of vitamin D – Dec 2010
• Overview Influenza and vitamin D
• Flu