Scientists are conducting a trial to test if the intake of Vitamin D can boost the immune system enough to fight against the novel coronavirus or Covid-19.
A report in the BBC said that scientists are looking for volunteers to take part in this trial. Participants will be given pills to take daily for six months if a "finger-prick test" shows they have a vitamin deficiency, the report said.
The aim of the trials is to not specifically stop the infection but to improve people's health in general.
The trial is led by researchers from Queen Mary University of London and funded by Barts Charity.
People participating in the trial will be given higher doses of vitamin D than regular supplements, the report said.
It quoted Principal investigator David Jolliffe as saying: "The trial "has the potential to give a definitive answer" to the question of whether vitamin D offers protection against Covid."
"Vitamin D supplements are low in cost, low in risk and widely accessible. If proven effective, they could significantly aid in our global fight against the virus," Jolliffe was quoted as saying.
The BBC report further said that Vitamin D deficiency is more common in elderly people, among those who are overweight, and in black and Asian people. All these groups are at higher risk of contracting the Covid-19 infection.