Symptomatic Characteristics of Hypozincemia Detected in Long COVID Patients 2023, Matsuda et al

Abstract:
Objectives: The aim of this study was to determine the characteristics of hypozincemia in long COVID patients.

Methods: This study was a single-center retrospective observational study for outpatients who visited the long COVID clinic established in a university hospital during the period from 15 February 2021 to 28 February 2022. Characteristics of patients with a serum zinc concentration lower than 70 μg/dL (10.7 μmol/L) were compared with characteristics of patients with normozincemia.

Results: In a total of 194 patients with long COVID after excluding 32 patients, hypozincemia was detected in 43 patients (22.2%) including 16 male patients (37.2%) and 27 female patients (62.8%). Among various parameters including the background characteristics of the patients and medical histories, the patients with hypozincemia were significantly older than the patients with normozincemia (median age: 50 vs. 39 years). A significant negative correlation was found between serum zinc concentrations and age in male patients (R = −0.39; p < 0.01) but not in female patients. In addition, there was no significant correlation between serum zinc levels and inflammatory markers. General fatigue was the most frequent symptom in both male patients with hypozincemia (9 out of 16: 56.3%) and female patients with hypozincemia (8 out of 27: 29.6%). Patients with severe hypozincemia (serum zinc level lower than 60 μg/dL) had major complaints of dysosmia and dysgeusia, which were more frequent complaints than general fatigue.

Conclusions: The most frequent symptom in long COVID patients with hypozincemia was general fatigue. Serum zinc levels should be measured in long COVID patients with general fatigue, particularly in male patients.

https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0383/12/5/2062/htm

 

I was advised by an internal medicine doctor in 1993 to take zinc. I felt better within a few weeks and started going for short walks. Possibly a coincidence n=1 experience

 

Got my zinc tested at Cleveland Clinic, it was normal.

 

From memory ( so potentially wrong) zinc and vit D share many connections/ impacts .
Both are involved in maintaining structure of mucous membranes as part of immune function.
Low zinc may be part/ consequence of SARS2 immune dysfunction mechanism

It's also an enzyme for reactions and is involved in DNA synthesis and protein production .
So low zinc may be useful to a virus .

ETA changed wording to immune dysregulation