key: cord-0952785-bxgrz377
authors: Ishii, Nobuyoshi; Terao, Takeshi; Hirakawa, Hirofumi
title: Association between trace levels of lithium in drinking water and COVID‐19‐associated mortality
date: 2020-09-30
journal: Bipolar Disord
DOI: 10.1111/bdi.12991
sha: 53a094c82f1671099feb1e0fd1a580a7fbc3700b
doc_id: 952785
cord_uid: bxgrz377

Lithium, widely used in treating bipolar disorder, also exhibits antiviral activity.1 Lithium's antiviral effects may extend to Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-19), which causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

Lithium, widely used in treating bipolar disorder, also exhibits antiviral activity. 1 Lithium's antiviral effects may extend to Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), which causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). 2 

show that SARS-CoV-2 inhibition starts at very high lithium levels (>5 mEq/L). 2 This preliminary study investigates whether trace lithium, such as that in drinking water, may be associated with a low COVID-19 mortality.

In addition to the lithium data in drinking water from our recent study, 3 Hirofumi Hirakawa https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7782-5807

Lithium and coronaviral infections. A scoping review

Lithium's antiviral effects: a potential drug for CoViD-19 disease?

Lithium in drinking water and suicide prevention: The largest nationwide epidemiological study from Japan