The health body says that these can include muscle aches and weakness, a waddling gait, chronic widespread pain, or bone pain in the lower back, pelvis and foot.

    The body creates vitamin D from direct sunlight on the skin when outdoors, so the winter may be a time when vitamin D deficiency is more common.

    Dietary vitamin D is available in foods such as oily fish, cod liver oil, red meat, fortified cereals, fortified margarine/spreads and egg yolks.

    In the UK, milk is not fortified with vitamin D, so dairy products contain only small amounts of vitamin D.

    “There is currently not enough evidence to support taking vitamin D solely to prevent or treat COVID-19,” the NHS says.

    In April 2020, the NHS issued a statement, based on recommendations from Public Health England (PHE), that we should all consider taking 10 mcg/day vitamin D as a supplement, to keep our bones and muscles healthy.