There appears to be a relationship between serious coronavirus complications and patients with a low level of vitamin K, doctors at the Canisius Wilhelmina hospital in Nijmegen have found.

Vitamin K, which occurs naturally in, for instance, eggs and spinach, plays a part in the coagulation of the blood and in the protection of the elasticity of the lungs, both of which are compromised in some coronavirus patients. In order to make a protective protein, the body needs vitamin K.

‘We found that people who died from the virus or who had to go into intensive care because of complications had much lower levels of vitamin K compared to healthy people. We think there is a relationship between vitamin K and how the illness progresses,’ lung specialist Rob Janssen said.

The hospital, which is looking for outside funding to continue the research into vitamin K and coronavirus, and is investigating ways to give vitamin K supplements to coronavirus patients.

‘It would be great if vitamin K could help in alleviating the symptoms. But it has to be done safely. Patients who have thrombosis and take blood thinners cannot take it, for instance,’ he said.