Vitamin C 4 Care Homes

Older people in care homes are one of the most vulnerable groups with respect to risk, morbidity and mortality of severe coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19). In the UK, almost half (47%) of all COVID-19 deaths occurred in care homes. The World Health Organization (WHO) has highlighted vitamin C as an adjunctive therapy with biological plausibility for people with severe COVID-19. Previous research has indicated that up to 40% of care home residents in the UK are deficient in vitamin C, an essential immune supportive nutrient. This is a 10-fold higher deficiency level than that reported in community dwelling older people in the UK government's National Diet and Nutrition Survey. Due to lack of robust pharmacokinetic data in older people, the intake required to optimise the vitamin C status of this cohort is not yet known and may be higher than that for healthy adults; some have estimated as high as 400 mg/d (the current UK recommended nutrient intake (RNI) or vitamin C is 40 mg/d, which is sufficient to prevent deficiency, but not enough for optimal/saturating vitamin C status). Thus, this pilot and feasibility study will assess the intake requirements of care home residents for optimal vitamin C status. The purpose is to provide essential data for a future clinical trial assessing the efficacy of optimal vitamin C supplementation for risk, severity, and duration of respiratory infections in this population who are at risk of such infections.