Wednesday 10 March 2021
A few pounds can help
Underweight is also a risk of Kovid 19
Researchers are looking at data from about 150,000 Kovid 19 patients for a US study. This again shows that being overweight increases the risk of severe or fatal courses. But it is even more difficult for underweight patients.
Obesity has long been a known risk factor for the severe course of Kovid 19 disease. The American Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also comes in a New study For a clear evaluation. According to this, severe obesity in young people may double the risk of fatalities from Kovid-19.
However, studies show that underweight is also associated with an increased risk. Patients who lost weight and had a body mass index (BMI) below 18.5 were 20 percent more likely to be hospitalized than patients with a healthy BMI. For those under 65, the risk was 41 percent higher. The reasons for this are not entirely clear. Experts suspect that the effect is due to the fact that some underweight patients were malnourished, weak, or already ill. However, it will also be possible that underweight people are likely to suffer from Kovid 19 symptoms and have been classified as ill by doctors.
Kovid-19 patients who had BMI between healthy and overweight performed best. This is in line with previous studies according to the New York Times, which suggests that a few extra pounds may help people fight infectious diseases. In the paper, Allison Goodman, a pediatrician, medical epidemiologist at the CDC and co-author of the study, points out that a little extra fat can provide much-needed energy reserves during prolonged illness.
Originally, however, the study’s authors emphasize that there is a greater risk of developing Kovid-19, particularly in patients with severe obesity, with a more severe course, and more often dying. So they advise these people to get vaccinated as early as possible. The study used data from approximately 150,000 adults treated in more than 200 hospitals across the United States between March and December 2020.
