Effect of serum magnesium levels on outcomes of patients hospitalized with COVID-19.

BACKGROUND:  The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) causes acute respiratory illness and multi-organ failure. The critical roles of magnesium in human health suggest that it could have an active role in the prevention and treatment of COVID-19. We measured magnesium levels in hospitalized COVID-19 patients concerning disease progression and mortality.

MATERIALS AND METHODS:  This study was conducted in 2321 hospitalized COVID-19 patients. Clinical characteristics from each patient were recorded, and blood samples were collected from all patients upon their first admission to the hospital to determine serum magnesium levels. Patients were divided into two groups based on discharge or death. The effects of magnesium on death, severity, and hospitalization duration were estimated by crude and adjusted odds ratio using Stata Crop (version 12) software.

RESULTS:  Mean magnesium levels in patients who died were higher than in discharged patients (2.10 vs 1.96 mg/dl, p 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS: We found no relation between hypomagnesaemia on COVID-19 progression, although hypermagnesaemia could affect COVID-19 mortality (Tab. 4, Ref. 34).