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.