The Effect of a Low Dose of Vitamin C in Patients With COVID-۱۹: A Double-Blind Randomized Controlled Trial

Background: Vitamin C is a micronutrient with anti-inflammatory and free radical scavenging properties that can strengthen the body’s immune system. In this study, it was attempted to assess the clinical efficiency of oral vitamin C in treating COVID-۱۹.Materials and Methods: This double-blind randomized clinical trial was conducted on ۴۰۱ patients hospitalized in Taleghani hospital, Abadan, over ۱۸ years of age and with confirmed COVID-۱۹ infection, from November ۲۰۲۰ to May ۲۰۲۱. The patients were randomly assigned to intervention groups (۲۰۱ people, two tablets per day, each containing ۵۰۰ mg of vitamin C) and the control group (۲۰۰ people, placebo, containing starch received for five days). Improvements in clinical symptoms, death from baseline to the ۲۸-day follow-up after the intervention, hospital length of stay, and laboratory values of C-reactive protein (CRP) were some of the considered outcome variables.Results: No significant difference was observed between the two groups in terms of the daily improvement of clinical symptoms and the odds of healing from each symptom increased by about ۴۸-۵۰%. The difference in the length of hospital stay between the two groups was close to significant (P=۰.۰۵۱). There was no significant difference in mortality between the two groups (P=۰.۸). There was no difference between the two groups in the laboratory parameters, except for alkaline phosphatase (P=۰.۰۳).Conclusion: Vitamin C had no significant effect on improving patients’ clinical symptoms such as fatigue, fever, cough, and shortness of breath.