Reports from the National Health Service in the United Kingdom suggest that almost two-thirds of coronavirus patients who fall seriously ill have obesity, and more than half of the patients in intensive care in U.K. hospitals due to the virus have overweight — a technical term for specific excess weight for body mass — and obesity.
In the U.S., researchers are finding that COVID-19 patients with obesity and obesity-related conditions such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease and chronic lung disease were at higher risk of experiencing severe infection than those without them.
There is also a growing number of reports suggesting that severe obesity is a potential risk factor for COVID-19 patients who experience severe disease progression.
Low-income people and people of color, most affected by obesity and its harmful effect on health, are also at greater risk of infection from the virus causing COVID-19.
Public health officials and policymakers need to implement strategies that can specifically reduce the risk of disease transmission in low-wage workers and racial/ethnic minority communities, for this pandemic and for public health emergencies in the future.
