Is vitamin D stopping me from catching everything like usual?

[Butterflypattern]

I’ve been taking vitamin D3 everyday since last March.
I’m usually catch everything going as I work in a school and I have a toddler who goes to nursery. He’s just got over a very nasty virus (not Covid) but he had a high temp, cough etc and was ill on and off for over a week. Usually I would catch something like this, but I didn’t.
I haven’t actually been properly ill since around September of last year when I had a generic virus that was mostly sore throat, fever and snotty.

I also haven’t had either vaccine because I’ve got a severe phobia of needles.

So I guess I’m just wondering is vitamin D3 helping my body warn off infections and viruses?

To echo other PPs, (some) people are actually washing their hands now.

The amount of posters on here in March 2020 who were desperate to know ‘how can I make my 8yo son wash his hands when he gets in from school’, it was mind-blowing. Erm, why wasn’t he already washing his hands EVERY time he got in from somewhere?

It’s called basic hygiene. I was honestly surprised to see how many people admitted to not washing their hands by default every time then got in from work/school/the shops.

That’s one reason why we aren’t catching as many bugs. There were are masks, social distancing, extra ventilation and disinfection.

why not have a long chat with someone that's been hospitalised with COVID OP?
might help you overcome your phobia of needles.

Have you also not bothered to have your child vaccinated against measles etc?

There arent as many bugs around on surfaces because people are using anti-bac hand gel going in and out of shops and schools, they're washing hands.

Does anti-bac gel even work? Studies seem to say it only works on clean hands, so seems to defeat the purpose.

[quote TheWoleb]@AdultingAvoidance

Then why did she mention the vaccines?
The OP brought up covid, not me.

When she has a post going on about how she hasn't been ill at all due to vitamin D and then casually mentions she is also unvaccinated, the insinuation is that she is unvaccinated but hasn't caught covid and is bigging up the role of vitamin D in that. There was no other reason for her to mention being unvaccinated.[/quote]
Absolutely this. OP, you’re peddling dangerous myths.

www.irishtimes.com/news/ireland/irish-news/35-unvaccinated-and-in-a-coffin-widower-makes-vaccine-plea-after-wife-dies-after-giving-birth-1.4654308

The article doesn't mention whether or not she took vitamin D

If you’re white it’s likely you would get enough vitamin D from sunlight alone in the summer time… so the supplement is probably just giving you expensive wee.

Still a good idea to take it in the winter though.

Just get the sodding vaccine OP. Better than waiting to see how your phobia plays out in intensive care.

Even though I am diabetic I am very rarely ill. The occasional sore throat or mild cold even though I work in a school. Since the beginning of the first lockdown I have been very well with no illnesses at all which I put down to the better hygiene, masks etc. The weeks ago I picked up a cold and it was dreadful. I really think that my Immunity to these things has gone down and so I can understand when the doctors say that they are expecting and explosion of illnesses!

As others have said, it's literally just because people are (finally!) understanding what they have to do to stop being ill, and are (again, FINALLY) putting those actions into practice.

For example thinking about whether they should go to work/school/the shops when they're not well. Sanitising hands. Washing hands religiously before eating.

Simple things like that were ALWAYS the best way to stop the spread of illness, but until we had such an awful global situation people weren't motivated (read: scared) enough to actually put those methods into action.

I think for a while we'll see a vast reduction in illness due to this. Over time of course (i.e. when the media decide they're bored of reporting on covid) we will get complacent and go back to the way we were.

Handwashing imv

For needle phobic people it must be difficult. But the vaccine is the smallest needle I have seen! However those who are unwell with covid on ITU, that's a whole different story

It won’t hurt to take Vitamin d and a lot of brits are in need of extra vitamin d because of poor summers, sunblock use & wearing clothes. You’d make loads of vit d walking around naked in decent sunlight.

However, it’s not going to do much good if you catch covid.

Not having a vaccine to a virus your immune system has no natural defence to is a risky move though.

So I guess I’m just wondering is vitamin D3 helping my body warn off infections and viruses?

No.

@TheWoleb - I think exactly the same. It's not just you.

you dont need vitamin D in the summer months, you may be over dosing on vit d

@chocolateorangeinhaler

Just a side note but hospitals are now far more worried about 'normal' illnesses suddenly exploding and overwhelming them.

Things such as flu, D&V, colds, chicken pox etc. not usually much of a problem but if everyone goes down at the same time staffing issues could occur.

I don't know anyone that had a cold last year but this year I expect it to be bad as masks are not being worn as much and hand washing gets forgotten about.

I also didn't know many people with colds/sick bugs etc. Last year either, but me, my husband and daughter had a cold (negative pcrs) a few weeks ago and it absolutely wiped us clean out, the first cold any of us had had in well over a year and it was rough, so I can see this happening. I also take high strength vit D

I am a medical marvel because I never get colds. I don't think I've ever had one! I had a covidy sounding flu in March 2020 before Covid was here, and my dh was amazed as he has never seen me with a respiratory illness. I think some people just don't get them for some reason (I don't take any supplements)

(I'm being dramatic for humorous reasons I don't really think I am a medical marvel)

You can’t “boost” your immune system, either your immune system works or it doesn’t. What probably happened is either you caught the bug, had symptoms and your immune system fought the bug and you got better or you didn’t have any symptoms because you never caught the bug (probably because of better hygiene) so there was nothing for your immune system to fight.

I am never ill either. Like never, apart from upset stomachs every so often. (disclaimer: I did start taking Vit D last week after someone recommended it and Zinc to build back up my immune system)

Never ill. And then I got Covid. Very very very ill.

Looking after yourself is great but please don't assume this means you will somehow magically resist covid. Pregnancy and childbirth cured me of my needle phobia!

I never get upset stomachs either. I get bloating occasionally

I think when I do get ill I will really get ill like you @Piggywaspushed and am dreading Covid although am fully vaxxed

Please get help with your needle phobia. Trust me, being ill with covid is a breeze, compared to a quick jab of a vaccine. Imagine if you end up in hospital-you’ll have plenty of needles then!

I hope you won't bryony. The doctors did say I was slightly unusual in how many gastro symptoms I had and how severe they were, and that they were mainly seeing all this kind of stomach stuff in teenagers (which made me feel very young all of a sudden!). Fingers crossed for you anyway!

No my family have taken it for years and we have all had covid

I take a vitamin D gummy as well as vitamin C & zinc, have been doing this for years. I'm double vaccinated and still managed to catch covid and get horribly ill but didn't need doctors/ hospital.