The Association Between COVID-19 Infection Severity and Micronutrient Deficiencies in Children

Background: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) can cause pulmonary and systemic inflammation in both children and adults. Investigating the potential impact of micronutrient deficiencies on COVID-19 infection is of great importance.Objectives: The current study was designed to compare the serum levels of vitamins D and C and zinc between healthy children and children with mild or severe COVID-19 infection, as well as to investigate the impact of micronutrient deficiencies on the clinical symptoms of patients.Methods: This case-control study was conducted at a teaching hospital in Tehran, Iran. Control subjects were recruited from healthy children, and cases were included from children with mild and severe symptoms of COVID-19. Blood samples were obtained from participants to measure the levels of micronutrients and were analyzed using statistical software.Results: A total of 85 subjects were included (33 controls, 25 cases with mild symptoms, and 27 cases with severe symptoms). We found no differences in the means of serum vitamin D and vitamin C levels between the studied groups. However, the mean serum zinc level was significantly lower in severe patients compared to the controls (P 0.01). Moreover, no significant difference was observed in the frequency of patients with micronutrient deficiencies based on their clinical conditions. Conclusions: Our findings revealed zinc deficiency in children with severe COVID-19 infection, while no significant differences were found in the mean serum levels of vitamins D and C between healthy children and patients. More studies are necessary to provide more robust evidence.