Obesity significantly increases the risk of a severe course of illness with SARS-CoV-2, according to studies from France and China. Patients with obesity are more likely to require artificial ventilation under anesthesia and are more likely to die from a coronavirus infection. The weaker lung tissue caused by obesity makes it easier for the virus to enter cells. In addition, excess body fat affects the immune system, leading to the release of messenger substances in the abdomen that cause inflammation and increase the risk of pneumonia.
Arthur Simonnet from the University Hospital of Lille explains that “obesity was therefore described as an independent risk factor for severe lung infections during the H1N1 epidemic.” According to Simonnet, “it is therefore likely that obesity is also a risk factor for SARS-CoV-2.” The statement of the scientists is based on health data of all 124 Covid-19 patients who were in the intensive care unit of the University Hospital of Lille between February 27 and April 5. The team analyzed whether there was a correlation between the body mass index (BMI) and artificial ventilation per intubation of the patients. The evaluation of patient data shows that 85 of the 124 Covid patients who had to be ventilated suffered from severe obesity.
The need for ventilation increased gradually with the body mass index until it reached a proportion of 90 percent in people with a BMI of more than 35. The data clearly demonstrate a connection between obesity and the severity of Covid-19. A study published in the Chinese journal Zhonghua came to similar conclusions. The scientists analyzed patient data from 112 people who were treated for Covid-19 at Union Hospital in Wuhan between January 20 and February 15. The analysis shows that 88.2 percent of the patients who did not survive the infection had a BMI of over 25 and were either overweight or obese.
A study published in the journal Preprints by the General Hospital of Beijing provides initial evidence that severe courses of illness are caused by the fact that the additional fat tissue serves as potential docking sites for the virus. According to the scientists, the proportion of ACE2 receptors necessary for cell infection is even higher in fat tissue than in the lungs. Therefore, people with obesity and overweight are more likely to be affected by severe courses of illness. These findings highlight the importance of maintaining a healthy weight to reduce the risk of severe illness from Covid-19.
