September 2020
WEDNESDAY, Sept. 23, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- Millions of Americans pop zinc supplements at the first sign of the common cold. Now, new research suggests the nutrient might play a role in COVID-19 outcomes, too.
Researchers from Spain reporting at a European coronavirus conference found that hospitalized COVID-19 patients with low blood levels of zinc tended to fare worse than those with healthier levels.
"Lower zinc levels at admission correlate with higher inflammation in the course of infection and poorer outcome," said a team led by Dr. Roberto Guerri-Fernandez of the Hospital Del Mar in Barcelona.
One expert in the United States said the finding makes intuitive sense.
"It has long been thought that zinc bolsters the immune system," said pulmonologist Dr. Len Horovitz, of Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City. "A possible explanation in this study is that zinc may have an anti-inflammatory effect that is protective."
In the new study, Guerri-Fernandez's team tracked medical outcomes against the results of lab tests for 249 patients admitted to the hospital with COVID-19 in March and April. Patients averaged 63 years of age and 21 (8%) died from their illness.
