Zinc supplementation may lower the risk of death and shorten the recovery time for COVID-19 patients, Eurekalert reported.
Experts from the Medical Research Institute of the Hospital del Mar and the University of Pompeu Fabra analyzed zinc levels in 249 adults infected with the coronavirus who were treated from March 9 to April 1, 2020.
The study found that, on average, patients with low zinc levels spent three times longer in hospital than those with normal levels (25 and eight days, respectively). In addition, blood zinc levels were approximately 20% higher in people who survived the infection and recovered.
Scientists note that the poor prognosis in patients with low concentrations of this substance is due to both its effect on immune imbalances and an increase in viral load, since low levels of zinc accelerate the spread of the pathogen in the body.