Scientist suggest UK fortify with Vitamin D

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/oct/31/add-vitamin-d-bread-milk-help-fight-covid-urge-scientists-deficiency-supplements

Half the the UK is vitamin D deficient which is linked to Covid hospitalization and death.

I wonder if people around here are better informed than the scientist making the recommendation.

From the link in op

In my opinion, it is clear that vitamin D could not only protect against disease severity but could also protect against infection,” Davies said. “Food fortification would need careful planning to be rolled out effectively, particularly as people are now taking supplements. Picking the right foods to fortify would need to be done carefully.

“But it’s clear that the current policy is not working – at least half the population have a vitamin D deficiency.”

@Eladar
But what does it matter to you, since you said it was fake news there would be 260,000 deaths?

@sonhouse said
@Eladar
But what does it matter to you, since you said it was fake news there would be 260,000 deaths?

What does it matter to me? Lowering the inflated death rate due to vitamin d deficient people would make it more likely people can keep their jobs.

People could go to concerts and college kids can have their college experience.

Kids could go to school and not be robbed of an education.

All sorts of things would be better if people were not deficient in vitamin D.

@eladar said
Lowering the inflated death rate due to vitamin d deficient people would make it more likely people can keep their jobs.

People could go to concerts and college kids can have their college experience.

Kids could go to school and not be robbed of an education.

All sorts of things would be better if people were not deficient in vitamin D.

What?
Do you seriously think just stopping vit D deficiency would be enough to do all that i.e. control this epidemic?
I am afraid it would take doing a lot more than that. Until we have a vaccine, social distancing and masks are not only also required but would be what would have the main effect at slowing its spread.

@Eladar
So you don't admit you ever said "260,000 deaths, fake news".
I suppose you believe your god Trump when he says windmills cause cancer too.....

@humy said
What?
Do you seriously think just stopping vit D deficiency would be enough to do all that i.e. control this epidemic?
I am afraid it would take doing a lot more than that. Until we have a vaccine, social distancing and masks are not only also required but would be what would have the main effect at slowing its spread.

Control the spread? No

Bringing down the death rate to the point that people like you are not so afraid?

Yes

Viruses will always be part of life.

@sonhouse said
@Eladar
So you don't admit you ever said "260,000 deaths, fake news".
I suppose you believe your god Trump when he says windmills cause cancer too.....

How many deaths have we had in the US this year?

Interesting fact, the death rate growth for the US in 2020 is the same as 2018, not significantly different that 2019.

@eladar said
Control the spread? No

Bringing down the death rate to the point that people like you are not so afraid?

1, I am not afraid; Just not so stupid to not take a few precautions. For example, for me to not wear a face mask in public would be STUPID as well as irresponsible as it not wearing it would make me more likely to both catch it and then spread it; leading to yet more preventable deaths.
2, taking vit D wouldn't reduce the number of deaths by as much as preventing people catching it; If you take vit D you may still die of it but if you don't catch it then you certainly won't die of it!
We already know of some measures that greatly help reduce the number of people catching it.

@eladar said
Interesting fact, the death rate growth for the US in 2020 is the same as 2018, not significantly different that 2019.

was the number of coronavirus related deaths for the US in 2018 not much different from in 2020 ?
With all else being equal, and regardless of what the death rate was before, is it better to make human death rate lower rather than higher?
With all else being equal, isn't it better to lower the human death rate?
Do you personally think a human life is of some value? -that's a genuine question.

@humy said
was the number of coronavirus related deaths for the US in 2018 not much different from in 2020 ?
With all else being equal, and regardless of what the death rate was before, is it better to make human death rate lower rather than higher?
With all else being equal, isn't it better to lower the human death rate?
Do you personally think a human life is of some value? -that's a genuine question.

The growth in death rate was the same.

I guess some peoole believe that classifying death by covid as opposed to other reasons is important.


In any case, if over half the population was not vitamin D deficient, not as many people would die.

@eladar said
The growth in death rate was the same.

lets say that's true; Isn't it still better to lower the death rate?

I guess some peoole believe that classifying death by covid as opposed to other reasons is important.

Then you guess wrong; Why not minimize the death rate?

In any case, if over half the population was not vitamin D deficient, not as many people would die.

If you half the number of people that catch it, not as many people would die. Why doesn't that also count in your book?

@humy said
lets say that's true; Isn't it still better to lower the death rate?

I guess some peoole believe that classifying death by covid as opposed to other reasons is important.

Then you guess wrong; Why not minimize the death rate?

In any case, if over half the population was not vitamin D deficient, not as many people would die.

If you half the ...[text shortened]... ber of people that catch it, not as many people would die. Why doesn't that also count in your book?

Is it better to lower death rate?

By that logic should we not shut down during every flu season?

So to answer your question, no we should not shut down life just to try to save a small portion of lives. To live life you must have some risk. In the end we all die.

Hide in a hole if you like, but that just makes for a terrible life.

@eladar said
Is it better to lower death rate?

By that logic should we not shut down during every flu season?

No, partly because most flu seasons have less potential to produce so many deaths and all else isn't equal because we have flu vaccines so usually no need for a general shut down because of flu; Just get enough people vaccinated.

no we should not shut down life just to try to save a small portion of lives.

Wearing a face mask and doing social distancing isn't shutting down life. Even a lock down isn't shutting down life; we still live our lives; just merely differently with a few more constraints. And once the virus is under control we can stop the lock down.

To live life you must have some risk.

Yes. Does that include unnecessary risk? Does that include not wearing a face mask in public during a major pandemic?
If you jump off a sinking ship, would you refuse to wear a life jacket because "To live life you must have some risk"?

In the end we all die.

Which do YOU prefer? Die this year or in some other year? If the latter, do you understand why other people also prefer the latter?