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Practice Guidelines

Managing the long term effects of covid-19: summary of NICE, SIGN, and RCGP rapid guideline

BMJ 2021; 372 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.n136 (Published 22 January 2021) Cite this as: BMJ 2021;372:n136

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Vitamin D deficiency ignored Re: Managing the long term effects of covid-19: summary of NICE, SIGN, and RCGP rapid guideline

Dear Editor

Long-Covid-19 Experts ignore Vitamin D deficiency

The NICE, SIGN and RCGP expert advisory panel rapid guideline on the long term effects of Covid-19 advises doctors to offer some blood tests.[1] Unfortunately, these tests do not include blood levels of essential nutrients. They ignore the vital need to replete of dangerously low Vitamin D levels which are very common in those with darker skins and in pregnant women and women taking hormones.[2,3]

Numerous rapid responses about Covid-19 and Vitamin D deficiency are still being ignored. The inexplicable neglect of testing levels of basic biochemical essential nutrients must stop – the sooner the better for all of us.

1 Practice Guidelines Managing the long term effects of covid-19: summary of NICE, SIGN, and RCGP rapid guideline. BMJ 2021; 372 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.n136 (Published 22 January 2021)Cite this as BMJ 2021;372:n136

2 Grimes DS. Re: Mitigating ethnic disparities in covid-19 and beyond. https://www.bmj.com/content/372/bmj.m4921/rr

3 Grant ECG. More women ? hormone users Re: Long covid: Damage to multiple organs presents in young, low risk patients. https://www.bmj.com/content/371/bmj.m4470/rr-6

Competing interests: No competing interests

25 January 2021
Ellen C G Grant
Physician and Medical Gynaecologist
Retired
Kingston-upon Thames, Surrey, UK
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