Intake of folic acid begins even before pregnancy in most cases as a necessary ingredient for healthy fetal development. However, the body’s vast quantities of folic acid can increase vulnerability to covid. Therefore, the chances are more that covid can be fatal in such cases. The chances of death are more in such cases.
“We examined whether COVID-19 diagnosis and death were related to the large doses of folic acid — five times the safe upper limit — prescribed to patients for various medically approved indications. We found that the risk of becoming infected and dying from COVID-19 was significantly greater in the group treated with folic acid,” says Dr. Ralph Green, study co-author and B vitamins expert.
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Folic acid is necessary to avoid a number of congenital disabilities, strokes, and heart diseases. Besides, it extends a wide range of health benefits. Also known as B9, folic acid has been in use for years. However, the discussions on folic acid and its possible link to the coronavirus infection are pretty recent.
Dr.Green first noticed the possibility of a link between covid and folic acid in high doses after a study published in ‘Nature Communications.’ An essential aspect of the study was the suggestion that the novel coronavirus uses the host’s folate for replicating itself. This hints at the possibility that the virus could be sensitive to folate inhibitors and folate.
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Of around 26,000 patients with Covid, 820 found it fatal. The chances of people getting the coronavirus infection are 1.5 times more. Further, the probability of death was 2.6 times more than a the control group.
The study can be considered as the beginning. More research is needed to derive further insights into the established connection between folic acid and the coronavirus.