A few pounds can help: Being underweight is also a risk for Covid 19

Wednesday 10 March 2021

A few pounds can help
Being underweight is also a risk of contracting Covid 19

Researchers are looking at the data of nearly 150,000 Covid 19 patients for a US study. It is again shown that significant weight gain increases the risk of severe or fatal periods. But it is also more difficult for underweight patients.

Obesity has always been a known risk factor for the acute course of Covid-19 disease. The American Center for Disease Control and Prevention also comes in one place. New study For a clear evaluation. According to this, obesity in young people can double the risk of a fatal outcome of Covid-19.

However, the study shows that being underweight is also associated with an increased risk. Underweight patients with a body mass index (BMI) of less than 18.5 were 20 percent more likely to be admitted to hospital than patients with a healthy body mass index. For those under the age of 65, the risks were 41 percent higher. The reasons for this are not entirely clear. Experts believe the effect is due to the fact that some underweight patients were previously malnourished, weak or ill. However, people who are underweight are also likely to experience symptoms of Covid 19 and be classified as more sick by doctors.

The data shows that Covid-19 patients whose BMI was close to the line between healthy and overweight did better. This is in line with previous studies, according to the New York Times, which indicate that a few extra pounds could help people fight infectious diseases. In the research paper, Alison Goodman, a pediatrician and medical epidemiologist at the CDC and co-author of the study, notes that a little extra fat may provide much-needed energy reserves over the course of a long illness.

However, the study authors essentially emphasize that obese patients in particular have an increased risk of contracting Covid-19, developing a more serious pathway and often dying from it. Therefore they recommend that these people be vaccinated as soon as possible. The study used data from nearly 150,000 adults who were treated at more than 200 hospitals across the United States between March and December 2020.