Does zinc have any effect on Covid-19?

There is no direct proof that zinc assists with Covid-19 directly. 

Zinc’s Important Functions

Zinc has several important functions in the body that are related to your immune system

• macrophage function
• neutrophil function
• natural killer cell activity
• develop and activate T-lymphocytes

Low zinc levels can lead to

• infections
• chronic fatigue syndrome
• diabetes
• kidney disease
• pneumonia
• recurring sepsis.

Research

Research in Barcelona, Spain, the patients in the study that died had an average zinc-blood level of 43 micrograms per deciliter and those that survived had 63 micrograms per deciliter, around normal levels.

As this was a tiny study, it is by no means conclusive. The amount of data showing that zinc has any positive outcome in Covid-19 is far to thin for any conclusion to be made.

The FDA has sent warning letters to companies that are advertising that their zinc will protect against Covid-19 or treat the disease.

As most adults are not zinc deficient taking any extra zinc will not be absorbed and will be excreted, providing no extra protection.

Conclusion

As a “normal” adult with a decent diet, it is unlikely that you would need to supplement. If you are elderly then it may be worth supplementing.

References

1. Zinc against COVID-19? Symptom surveillance and deficiency risk groups
2. Can Zinc Help Prevent Severe Illness From COVID-19? Here’s What a New Study Says
3. Could Zinc Help Fight COVID-19?
4. Can I use Zinc to help treat or prevent coronavirus?
5. Does zinc protect against Covid-19? Here’s what the evidence says.