Cooperative and caring behaviors are key drivers of human social progress, especially during catastrophes or pandemic events. While COVID-19 pandemics was arriving to Colombia in absence of any approved therapeutic strategy or vaccine, and based on evidence from other viral diseases, we anticipated to hypothesize the protective role of some nutritional supplements such as Vitamin D and C against SARS-CoV2. Therefore, for health workers, we proposed a voluntarily nutritional supplementation plan to fortify their immune system aiming to prevent or mitigate eventual COVID-19 infection and disease. Using the behavioral EAST framework, all our health workers (n = 1,063) were invited via email to participate voluntarily in a supplementation strategy for a period of 3 months. 77.4% accepted participation, and among them, we identified a group with optimal adherence to the proposed supplementation plan (20%) and a predominant group with no adherence at all (57.29%). Adherence seemed to be associated to a risk perception bias that was predominant in female workers and those workers performing in working areas with higher risk of infection. Of importance, adherence to the supplementation strategy was associated to a lower percentage of COVID-19 diagnostics (12%) as compared with that observed in non-adherence participants (19%). Moreover, the sustained adherence during the time of intervention seemed to promote adoption of this target behavior, as up to 35% of the adherent participants remained attached (on their own) to the supplementation habit, 3 months after the end of the intervention. All these data show the potential relevance of EAST frameworks as tools to trigger health care and altruistic behaviors to avoid the spread of pandemic diseases. In line with other authors, our observations suggest that nutritional vitamin D and C supplementation could mitigate the risk of COVID-19, highlighting the behavioral and biological relevance of this type of interventions during emerging or re-emerging infectious diseases.

Inadequate protein intake and lack of micronutrients may affect neurodevelopment in infants. This randomised controlled trial was conducted to measure the effect of two milk–cereal mixes with modest and high amounts of protein and enriched with multiple micronutrients, given between 6 and 12 months, on cognitive, language, motor and behavioural scores at 12 and 24 months of age, compared with no-supplementation. The two supplements were also compared with each other. The study was conducted in urban Delhi, India, and the infants were randomised in a 1:1:1 ratio to the three study groups. At 12 and 24 months of age, 1134 and 1214 children were available, respectively. At 12 months of age, compared with no-supplement group, an increase in the motor scores (mean difference, MD 1·52, 95 % CI: 0·28, 2·75) and a decrease in the infant temperament scores (MD − 2·76, 95 % CI: −4·23, −1·29) in the modest-protein group was observed. Those in the high-protein group had lower socio-emotional scores (MD − 1·40, 95 % CI: −2·43, −0·37) and higher scores on Infant Temperament Scale (MD 2·05, 95 % CI: 0·62, 3·48) when compared with modest-protein group. At 24 months, no significant differences in any of the neurodevelopment scores between the three study groups was found. In conclusion, supplementation with modest amount of protein and multiple micronutrients may lead to short-term small improvements in motor function and infant temperament. There appears no advantage of supplementing with high protein, rather negative effects on infant behaviour were observed

A double-blind controlled Ca supplementation trial was conducted for 6 months in thirty-four 7-year-old Chinese children from Hongkong and Jiangmen, China. The children were randomly allocated to the study group (n 17) or control group (n 17), and a CaCO3 tablet (300 mg Ca) or a placebo tablet was taken daily. True fractional Ca absorption (TFCA) was evaluated before and after the trial using stable isotopes: 8 mg44Ca mixed in 100 g chocolate milk was given after an intravenous injection of 0·75 mg 42Ca. There was no significant difference in baseline TFCA between the study group (60·6 (SD 11·4)%) and the controls (58·2 (SD 9.0)% P = 0·55). Serum 25-hydroxycholecalciferol levels were comparable between the two groups (P = 0·71). After 6 months, TFCA of the study group (55·6 (SD 12·7)%) was significantly lower than that of the controls (64·3 (SD 10·7)% P = 0·015). By comparing the individual changes in TFCA after the trial between the two groups there was a non-significant reduction in TFCA (5·03 (SD 12·4)% P = 0·11, Wilcoxon signed-rank test) in the study group (60·6–55·6%), whereas a significant increase in TFCA (6·17(SD 7·7)% P = 0·004, Wilcoxon signed-rank test) was observed in the controls (58·2–64·3%). The differential in TFCA between the two groups after 6 months was significantly different (P = 0·001), and remained significant after adjustment for baseline dietary intakes, weight and height by multiple-regression analysis (P = 0·003). If the mechanism of TFCA from chocolate milk in response to the treatment effects is similar to that from the total diet, then our results suggest that children with adequate vitamin D status can adapt to a change in Ca intake by adjusting the efficiency of TFCA. In corollary, children on habitually-low Ca diets have a higher TFCA than the counterparts with higher Ca diets.