This one thing alone makes you twice as likely to die from COVID

COVID-19 is unpredictable. When you contract the virus, it can feel like a roll of the dice, whether you have only minor symptoms or develop a severe case and need to be hospitalized. People of all ages and in all health conditions have become seriously ill and have died as a result. While older people are at greater risk of developing deadly COVID-19, experts say there’s one condition – one that’s under your control – that doubles your risk of dying from the coronavirus: obesity. Read on and to ensure your health and the health of others, don’t miss them Signs that your illness is actually coronavirus in disguise.

“Being obese, which usually means having a body mass index of 30 or more, decreases lung capacity and is linked to impaired immune function. Obese people diagnosed with Covid-19 were more than twice as likely to be hospitalized, 74% more likely to be in need of an intensive care unit and 48% more likely to die, according to a study from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, “according to the Washington post. “Research has also linked obesity to decreased responses to many vaccines. Meanwhile, a UK survey found that twice as many people gained weight as people lost during the initial pandemic lockdown in early 2020.

According to a study published in PLoS One, the researchers found that COVID patients with severe obesity (either a BMI of 35 or more) were twice as likely to be admitted to the ICU and four times as likely to die from any cause. is.

This reinforces several previous studies which have found that obese people with COVID are more likely to be hospitalized, need mechanical ventilation and die.

In one August study Posted in Obesity Reviews, the scientists analyzed 75 studies and found that obesity (BMI over 30) was associated with a 48% higher risk of death, a 113% higher risk of hospitalization, and a risk of 74% higher ICU admission with COVID-19. Researchers also warned that obesity may reduce the effectiveness of COVID vaccines, as obesity has been found to reduce the effectiveness of other vaccines.

And obesity isn’t just associated with poor COVID-19 outcomes – it appears to increase the risk of getting infected with the coronavirus in the first place. British study found that being overweight, obese or severely obese increased the risk of COVID infection by 31%, 55% and 57%, respectively.

Obesity has been shown to increase inflammation throughout the body and impair the immune system, which has been linked to a higher death rate from other illnesses like the flu. Additionally, obese people tend to have higher rates of other health problems associated with severe COVID.

“Although the definitive reasons for the poor results of COVID-19 in obesity remain uncertain, obese patients are particularly vulnerable,” said Dr Ana Mostaghim, lead author of the PLoS One study. “They may have independent risk factors [type-2 diabetes, hypertension and coronary artery disease] for poor results in COVID-19, conditions that are inflammatory and immune-mediated. ” Hyperglycemia and diabetes have been associated with higher morbidity and mortality with other coronavirus like SARS and MERS.

Also, one aspect of the risk is pure physique: when you are obese, larger fat deposits in the chest wall, chest cavity, and abdominal cavity put pressure on the chest, which means people who are obese must work harder to breathe, even when they are healthy. According to Centers for Disaster Control and Prevention, 42.5% of Americans over 20 are obese and 73.6% are overweight (defined as a BMI over 25).

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As for you, do whatever you can to avoid catching and spreading COVID-19 in the first place: Wear a face mask, get tested if you think you have coronavirus, avoid crowds (and bars, and house parties), practice social distancing, only do essential groceries, wash your hands regularly, sanitize surfaces frequently affected and get through this pandemic to the best of your health, don’t miss them 35 places where you’re most likely to catch COVID.