Washington: As per a report by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention obese adults have a higher probability of being hospitalized or dying from COVID-19.
The report that was released on Monday stated “Among 148,494 US adults with COVID-19, a nonlinear relationship was found between body mass index (BMI) and COVID-19 severity, with lowest risks at BMIs near the threshold between healthy weight and overweight in most instances, then increasing with higher BMI. Overweight and obesity were risk factors for invasive mechanical ventilation. Obesity was a risk factor for hospitalization and death, particularly among adults aged < 65 years,”
As compared with other US communities, Hispanic and non-Hispanic Black adults as well as persons from low-income households have a higher prevalence of obesity and, as a result, are disproportionately affected by the condition, claimed the report.
The implications of the findings include the necessity to provide proportional COVID-19 illness management as BMI increases, to promote vaccine prioritization and masking, and to ensure all populations access to nutrition and physical activities promoting healthy BMI, the report said.
The United States continues to be the worst affected country in the world in terms of both number of cases (more than 29 million) and deaths (over 525,000), as per latest data released by the Johns Hopkins University.
