Letter: Low population mortality from COVID-19 in countries South of latitude 35 degrees North supports vitamin D as a factor determining severity

Abstract

The recent editorial by Rhodes et al considered latitude and mentioned one mechanism that vitamin D is important in regulating and suppressing the inflammatory response of cytokines of respiratory epithelial cells and macrophages to various pathogens, including respiratory viruses and preventing cytokine storm and the subsequent acute respiratory distress syndrome (RDS).