What do we know about COVID-19 and obesity?
What do we know about COVID-19 and obesity?
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Obesity is a key risk factor for severe cases and death from COVID-19. Hospitalization, intensive care needs and death from COVID-19 is more common among obese individuals. However, as per the recent pre-print of a study that looked at the association between obesity and SARS-CoV-2 infection rates, COVID-19 symptoms, and change in immune response among non-severe cases, obesity, was not linked with increased risks of getting infected with SARS-COV-2. Obese individuals showed more pronounced symptoms, including fever as compared to non-obese people. In the non-severe cases studied, the immune response of obese individuals to the infection was not significantly different from the immune response of non-obese individuals.
Obesity is a key risk factor for severe cases and death from COVID-19. Hospitalization, intensive care needs and death from COVID-19 is more common among obese individuals. However, as per the recent pre-print of a study that looked at the association between obesity and SARS-CoV-2 infection rates, COVID-19 symptoms, and change in immune response among non-severe cases, obesity, was not linked with increased risks of getting infected with SARS-COV-2. Obese individuals showed more pronounced symptoms, including fever as compared to non-obese people. In the non-severe cases studied, the immune response of obese individuals to the infection was not significantly different from the immune response of non-obese individuals.
Publication
What our experts say
Obesity is a key risk factor for severe cases and death from COVID-19. Hospitalization, intensive care needs and death from COVID-19 is more common among obese individuals.
However, as per the recent pre-print of a study that looked at the association between obesity and SARS-CoV-2 infection rates, COVID-19 symptoms, and change in immune response among non-severe cases, obesity, was not linked with increased risks of getting infected with SARS-COV-2. Obese individuals showed more pronounced symptoms, including fever as compared to non-obese people. In the non-severe cases studied, the immune response of obese individuals to the infection was not significantly different from the immune response of non-obese individuals.
Obesity is a key risk factor for severe cases and death from COVID-19. Hospitalization, intensive care needs and death from COVID-19 is more common among obese individuals.
However, as per the recent pre-print of a study that looked at the association between obesity and SARS-CoV-2 infection rates, COVID-19 symptoms, and change in immune response among non-severe cases, obesity, was not linked with increased risks of getting infected with SARS-COV-2. Obese individuals showed more pronounced symptoms, including fever as compared to non-obese people. In the non-severe cases studied, the immune response of obese individuals to the infection was not significantly different from the immune response of non-obese individuals.
Context and background
With over 1.9 billion people who are overweight or obese and obesity being known as a risk factor for severe disease and death from SARS-CoV-2, a study was conducted to understand if obesity or one's Body Mass Index (BMI) makes one more susceptible to getting infected, if symptoms are different for obese individuals and if obesity changes the immune response to the infection. The study involved 4,469 non-hospitalized individuals with mild and asymptomatic infection at various locations in the United States.
With over 1.9 billion people who are overweight or obese and obesity being known as a risk factor for severe disease and death from SARS-CoV-2, a study was conducted to understand if obesity or one's Body Mass Index (BMI) makes one more susceptible to getting infected, if symptoms are different for obese individuals and if obesity changes the immune response to the infection. The study involved 4,469 non-hospitalized individuals with mild and asymptomatic infection at various locations in the United States.
Resources
- Epidemiological and immunological features of obesity and SARS-CoV-2 (
medRxiv) - Obesity and Mortality Among Patients Diagnosed With COVID-19: Results From an Integrated Health Care Organization (
Annals of Internal Medicine) - Obesity could shift severe COVID-19 disease to younger ages (Lancet)
- Epidemiological and immunological features of obesity and SARS-CoV-2 (
medRxiv) - Obesity and Mortality Among Patients Diagnosed With COVID-19: Results From an Integrated Health Care Organization (
Annals of Internal Medicine) - Obesity could shift severe COVID-19 disease to younger ages (Lancet)
