Today in Denmark: A roundup of the news on Wednesday

Ethnic Danes leave primary schools where non-Western children enroll

When children of non-Western immigrants enroll in a primary school, many ethnically Danish families find their kids seats in private and independent schools, where such children are scarce, broadcaster DR reports.

"A few years ago there was a parent who told me that their child should not be part of a social experiment," said Lars Kirk, headmaster of a school that saw its enrollment drop nearly 25 percent after Syrian refugee children arrived. "I think many people have a prejudice that many bilinguals in a class equates to poor learning." 

Between 2014 and 2021, the proportion of non-Western students in Denmark's public primary schools increased 13 percent, while decreasing 4 percent in private schools. Schools that saw greater enrollment from non-Western children saw enrollment of ethnic Danes drop, DR finds. 

Study: low vitamin D associated with more severe Covid-19 infections 

New research conducted by Harvard University and the State Serum Institute, Denmark's infectious disease agency, suggests that having a healthy level of vitamin D might help fend off serious illness from Covid-19.

The scientists examined blood samples from Denmark's National Biobank and combined that information with each donor's patient records. People with low vitamin D were twice as likely to experience a more serious case of Covid-19 (which the researchers classified as hospitalisation, intensive care, and/or death) compared to people with vitamin D levels considered normal.

That doesn't mean you should double your vitamin D supplements — the researchers say to keep to the dose recommended by the Danish Health Authority, which is 5-10 micrograms a day for adults and children over four. 

Since the study followed patients infected in spring 2020, when a different variant of Covid-19 was circulating and vaccines weren't yet available, it's unclear how vitamin D levels could impact infections today. 

Commentator: six parties will continue in Danish government negotiations

While 11 Danish political parties are still part of Mette Frederiksen's negotiations to form a new government, the field is expected to be nearly halved to six parties on Wednesday or soon after, political commentator Hans Engell predicts. 

Engell anticipates that only the Social Democrats (Frederiksen's own party), the Liberal Party (Venstre), the Moderates, (Moderaterne), the Socialist People's Party (Socialistisk Folkeparti), the Conservative People's Party (De Konservative), and the Social Liberals (Radikale Venstre) will continue with the process. 

Engell expects the Red-Green Alliance (Enhedslisten), a party within the traditional red bloc, to leave negotiations — and that could spell trouble if Frederiksen's plan to form a broad government with the Liberal Party crumbles.