Another idea on Covid-19 fatalities, Vitamin K serum levels

[jim mcnamara]

TL;DR Summary

Observation: Covid-19 patients with low Vitamin K levels have fewer positive outcomes.

Please read this first --
Popular link: https://www.theguardian.com/science...k-could-help-fight-coronavirus-study-suggests

It does not list the original paper. It seems to me to be:

https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Rob_Janssen6/publication/341725935_Reduced_Vitamin_K_Status_as_A_Potentially_Modifiable_Prognostic_Risk_Factor_in_COVID-19/links/5ed0aead45851529451b764e/Reduced-Vitamin-K-Status-as-A-Potentially-Modifiable-Prognostic-Risk-Factor-in-COVID-19.pdf

Living document with details on the rationale:
https://www.covid-19.seth.es/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/TH-and-COVID.pdf

It is NOT rigorous science. Don't go out and gorge on spinach, eggs, and natto. Do eat some however. The authors recommend a Vitamin K supplement because most people do not get much of the vitamin in foods, and Vitamin K1 (from most foods) is not well absorbed. Natto is a food very high in Vitamin K2. Supplements are usually Vitamin K2 which is absorbed well. The author also mentions that this vitamin is not recommended for patients on blood thinners.

Rationale derived from Med Cram lectures (and its links) and from living document above:

Vitamin K definitely known to regulate blood coagulation ->
SARS-COV2 exacerbates Von Willebrandt Body buildup (clotting matrix) in alveolar arteries and sometimes veins ->
autopsies of Covid-19 patients show microthrombii (clots) in those tiny arteries which causes inflammation leading to ARDS,hypoxia, and death.  ->
Alveolar blood clots are not found in Influenza patients.
Conclusion:
low Vitamin K levels may contribute to the severity of Covid19.

The biochemical pathways involved are discussed on the Med Cram website - google for Med Cram there are about ~80 tutorials on Covid19, check out lectures from about 69 - 74.

The literature has exploded on the subject of pathogenesis and is not so helpful if you are not a Biologist. So I only linked to one above.

Anecdotally : Areas of Japan that have natto as an important part of the diet, have markedly fewer fatalities seen in the that patient population.
Natto is fermented soybeans that are somewhat gooey and stringy. Considered breakfast food. --- In case natto is not part of your daily regimen.

 

[jim mcnamara]

FWIW - Vitamins may be a group of compounds. Vitamin K1 is phylloquinone, K2 is menadione (sometimes called K3).
Menadione: https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/Menadione
Phylloquinone: https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/Phylloquinone

K2 is commonly found in foods like leafy greens in very tiny amounts. K2 is found in some meats and a few fermented products like natto and some cheeses. K2 is almost always what is found in supplement pills.

Sometimes there are many "members" of the same vitamin family- like the carotenoids and retinols all being considered the Vitamin A family. Lutein is an example. Vitamin K is a small family.