Scientists at the Fatty Acid Research Institute and other scientific organizations in the United States have confirmed that high levels of omega-3 fatty acids in the blood can prevent death from COVID-19. This is reported in an article published in the journal Prostaglandins, Leukotrienes and Essential Fatty Acids.
One hundred patients hospitalized with coronavirus infection from whom blood samples were taken took part in the study. They were analyzed for the omega-3 index (O3I) – the ratio of polyunsaturated fatty acids (eicosapentaenoic and docosahexaenoic acids) to the total amount of fatty acids in the erythrocyte membrane.
According to the O3I level, the volunteers were divided into four equal groups (quartiles). Among the cases, 14 patients died, while in the group with the highest O3I, only one death was recorded. People in the first group were 75 percent less likely to die than those in other quartiles.
While the study’s findings are not statistically significant, the study, along with other scientific evidence, supports fatty acids that may reduce the risk of adverse outcomes in COVID-19, the scientists said.