You should take whatever amount you feel comfortable with after discussing it with healthcare practitioners as necessary. I can’t recommend a specific dose. I can only say that I think it’s sensible to supplement for a short part of the year whilst living in this climate. I take what would be considered a high dose per day. Occasionally I forget it or I’m out and it’s no big deal.

At least. More like 80, I guess, in first wave mostly caused by us here in Switzerland unable to leave the house. Most excess deaths in second wave caused by people unable to eat out after 2200, 1900, at all.

This is what you can get in Swiss pharmacies (Abgabekategorie 'D' is without prescription, 'B' is with):

https://compendium.ch/search?q=vitamin%20D3

Ordering online (e.g. iHerb) will be a lot cheaper.

If you're taking more than 4000 IU daily, consider taking K2 (90 to 180 mcg of K2 MK7 is a normal dose). This promotes calcium deposition into bones rather than arteries and studies have shown improvements in cardiovascular health. Also, get yearly vitamin D tests.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4566462/

Don't take K2 if you're taking vitamin K antagonists (blood thinners) without discussing it with your doctor.

In Japan more people died from suicide in October than the total number that are said to have died from covid in the whole of 2020. There was a huge spike in the number of suicide deaths, particularly women who, compared to men, disproportionately work in sectors that were heavily impacted by lockdowns. Japan has a history of high suicide rates but until 2019 this had been steadily decreasing.

https://www.swissmedic.ch/swissmedic...9-impfung.html

Death was nothing to do with vaccine!

“ The news of the death of a 91-year-old person in the canton of Lucerne after she was vaccinated against Covid-19 is circulating on social media channels and information platforms. Investigations by the cantonal health authorities and by Swissmedic have shown that, due to the medical history and the course of the disease, a connection between death and the Covid-19 vaccination is highly unlikely.
A few days after a Covid 19 vaccination, a 91-year-old person who suffered from several serious previous illnesses died in a retirement and nursing home in the canton of Lucerne. Neither the medical history nor the acute course of the disease suggest a direct causal connection between the Covid-19 vaccination and death. The comprehensive information available indicates a natural cause of death. This was also noted on the death certificate.
So far, no unknown side effects have occurred with vaccinations against the novel coronavirus. At this point in time, there is no evidence of a change in the benefit-risk profile of the vaccine used.”

Now do Switzerland.

Just as an aside, I am wondering 'how many of the research scientists working on those vaccines are Brexiters'- would love to know.

It’s probably time for you to move on, 2021 just around the corner.

Lockdown in Switzerland was in spring and the majority of the excess deaths were in autumn/winter.

Why?

most of the time, experts interviewed in the UK are clearly foreigners. And symbolism of openeness and international collaboration.

Are you sure it was not 40.43%

Canton Vaud even decided to open the mountain restaurants to avoid the excess deaths of the skiers from freezing while consuming their hot dogs and french fries outside.

You appear to be irritated that I can substantiate my comments. Note that I do not post below for your benefit but for those that have a genuine interest in understanding excess mortality statistics.

Below is an abstract from a recent study published in October by S. Kortüm, P. Frey, D. Becker, H.-J. Ott, H-P. Schlaudt, Corona-Independent Excess Mortality Due to Reduced Use of Emergency Medical Care in the Corona Pandemic: A Population-Based Observational Study

Abstract

Background
A significant decrease in the number of cases of emergency medical care during the first phase of the Corona pandemic has been reported from various regions of the world. Due to the lack of or delayed use of medical assistance, particularly in the case of time-critical clinical pictures (myocardial infarction, stroke), a corona collateral damage syndrome is postulated regarding possible health consequences. The present study investigates changes in the use of preclinical and clinical emergency care and effects on overall mortality in a rural area.

Methods
The number of patients in the emergency department at the Klinikum Hochrhein and the ambulance service were retrospectively aggregated and analyzed regarding the total number and selected tracer diagnoses and alarm keywords. The investigation period was the 9th to 22nd calendar week 2020 compared to the identical period of the previous year. In addition, the death rates in the district were collected directly from the registries and related to the number of patients in emergency care.

Results
Overall, the number of patients in clinical and preclinical emergency care declined significantly during the investigation period. This concerned in particular emergency inpatient treatment of patients with exacerbations or complications of severe chronic diseases. At the same time, excess mortality occurred in April 2020, which was still highly significant even after excluding deaths on or with COVID-19.

Discussion
Only about 55 % of the excess mortality in April 2020 can be attributed to COVID-19 and is associated with the decline in inpatient emergency treatment, especially of chronically ill patients. Since a drift of patients with the use of other service providers is unlikely, we assume that fears of infection in overburdened hospitals, one-sided public communication and reporting, and the extent of contact restrictions have contributed significantly to the decline in case numbers and to excess mortality (collateral damage).

Conclusion
For similar situations in the future, it is strongly recommended to make crisis communication and media coverage more balanced so as not to prevent people with acute health problems from receiving medical assistance. Contact restrictions should be critically reviewed and limited to the objectively necessary minimum.

The study took place in Waldshut, Baden-Württemberg on the border with Koblenz in Canton Aargau. The full text article is available here:
https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1...58v1.full-text

@Polymath

From your link "fears of infection in overburdened hospitals have contributed significantly to the decline in case numbers and to excess mortality ".

So nothing to do with lockdown; "lockdown" is not mentioned in your link.

LOL at your opening.

For the rest: Whatever the numbers, all of this is a direct consequence of Covid and people fearing it. People are avoiding hospitals because there is a significant risk of getting infected there (I know of three cases personally). Also, people have issues getting appointments. Currently, hospitals are not forced to postpone treatment by regulation, but by necessity as capacity is at limit. So yes, more detrimental effect on the general health system. To protect the health system for the benefit of everyone was why the measures were introduced.

Cause and effect. I don't know why this is so difficult.

Your Japan example is so ridiculous, I will not comment.

I never said that it did. Not sure what gave you that impression.

Only just been advised by a friend from Vermont to take 5000iu- which seems massive. Just got some and the recommended dose is 400- so happy to increase to 800- but 5000??? Risk of kidney stones, etc. Never taken any before.

It's difficult to discern exactly how your comment is intended to be interpreted. It is rather blunt and appears to acknowledge that there have been excess deaths caused by lockdown and you demanded a local example. Some people would find it a bit rude.

I'm not sure why you find the example of Japan so ridiculous. It's not only Japan. I have a colleague in Malaysia who poignantly expressed to me cases of increased suicides occurring during the lockdown. The effects of lockdowns around the world are no laughing matter. It's not only deaths, which of course are difficult to link directly. It's well documented that there have been more cases of domestic violence, for example. Many more women (and men) abused at home while not being able to leave their homes. This is not ridiculous.

This is what the Swiss govt recommends apparently. I understand in total, not supplementary. The risk of OD seems small.



https://www.blv.admin.ch/dam/blv/de/...-vitamin-d.pdf