Millions of elderly and vulnerable people receive free vitamin D from...

Millions of vulnerable people will receive vitamin D from the government when there is more evidence that it helps fight Covid-19 infection.

Nursing home residents and people protecting themselves because they have cancer are getting enough vitamin for the past four months. The first packages will arrive early next month.

The move comes after Health Secretary Matt Hancock ruled that he must act quickly in the face of emerging evidence of vitamin D’s benefits.

A recent study found that more than 80 percent of hospitalized Covid-19 victims were vitamin D deficient, compared to a UK average of 25 percent.

Ministers hope that increased intake of the vitamin, along with more effective drug treatments and a viable vaccine, will eliminate the need for an endless series of rolling bans.

A senior government source said direct delivery to people’s doorsteps in England would “help prevent vitamin D deficiency and maintain normal blood calcium levels and keep bones and muscles healthy”.

The source added, “We will ensure that those in need of vitamin D most urgently have access to a supply that will last them all winter. There are a number of studies that suggest that vitamin D supplementation could have positive effects on people with Covid-19. ‚

The move comes after Health Secretary Matt Hancock ruled that he must act quickly in the face of emerging evidence of vitamin D’s benefits

The step will be accompanied by the start of clinical studies to further investigate the connections between vitamin D and Covid-19.

Patients who receive free care include organ transplant recipients, chemotherapy patients, and those with severe respiratory diseases such as cystic fibrosis, severe asthma, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Vitamin D is a hormone produced by the kidneys that controls the concentration of calcium in the blood and has a direct impact on the body’s immune system.

Some experts have suggested that the higher rate of serious Covid-19 complications in ethnic minority patients could be due to the lower levels of vitamin D they can synthesize from sunlight.