COVID-19 and trace elements (literature review)

Abstract

The whole world has been living in the conditions of the COVID-19 pandemic caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus for more than 2 years. Despite the unprecedented measures aimed at finding new means of prevention and treatment, the development and implementation of vaccines, COVID-19 continues to be a significant medical and social problem. This is due to the peculiarity of SARS-CoV-2 to constant changes in the virus as a result of mutations and the formation of new strains. It affects the effectiveness of vaccination and treatment, necessitating preventive measures, primarily aimed at maintaining the normal functioning of the immune system that protects the host from various pathogens, including viruses. An important role in the state of the immune system is played by some micronutrients, which include zinc, selenium, iron and copper. Zinc and selenium have pronounced immunoregulatory, antioxidant and antiviral properties, iron is necessary for the growth and development of some cells of the immune system, and copper, in addition to its antiviral effect, reduces the risk of secondary infection in viral diseases. At the same time, according to the literature, more than 2 billion people in the world suffer from micronutrient deficiencies. In addition, there is often a combined deficiency of minerals, which necessitates its diagnosis and correction. Most of the studies we analyzed emphasize the importance of using micronutrients in people at risk, as well as in patients at the very beginning of the disease, in order to strengthen the immune system in the condition of a laboratory-confirmed deficiency.