Obesity was once considered a sign of wealth. However, the condition responsible for 8% of global mortality now spans all income levels. Its link to COVID-19 deaths became evident during the first wave. That was when a critical care physician in Vermont noticed a tragic pattern. When she studied the profiles of patients growing rapidly shorter of breath and dying, she realized obesity and COVID-19 make a deadly team.
Some Were Otherwise Healthy, Hard-Working People
‘These patients were otherwise healthy, hard-working people,’ Mary Ellen Antkowiak told Science Mag. ‘Their major risk factor for getting this sick was obesity.’ Since then, dozens of other studies have confirmed this phenomenon. A recent one published in Springer Health (link below) reiterates how obesity and COVID-19 make a deadly team.
The researchers harvested information from reports in PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science databases. These included forty-six studies involving 625,153 patients. Their report appearing in Springer Health on August 4, 2021, confirms obese patients have a significantly increased risk of severe COVID-19.
It’s Official. Obesity and COVID-19 Make a Deadly Team
The researchers titled their report ‘Obesity is Associated with Severe Disease and Mortality in Patients with Coronavirus Disease 2019’. They found obesity ‘is an important risk factor for COVID-19, including infection, hospitalization, severe disease, mechanical ventilation, ICU admission, and death.’
They recommended obese patients receive special treatment in hospital. And they should be priority candidates for COVID-19 vaccination. Their report suggests obesity may be on the uptick during lock downs, due to lack of exercise, stress, and boredom. This was the first mega-report on this topic to their knowledge.
‘Patients with obesity may have a greater risk of COVID-19 infection, hospitalization, clinically severe disease, mechanical ventilation, ICU admission, and mortality,’ they conclude. ‘Our results may prompt clinicians to pay particular attention to obese patients when treating COVID-19.’
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Preview Image: Deaths Attributed to Obesity
