Obesity raises risk of Covid infection: Study

Jerusalem People with increasing body mass index (BMI) may be at the risk of testing positive for SARS-CoV-2, the virus which causes Covid-19, finds a new study.The researchers, from the Chaim Sheba Medical Centre in Israel, found that the odds of testing positive for SARS-CoV-2 were 22 per cent higher in patients who were overweight or obese compared to those with a normal BMI. People with Class I obesity (BMI 30.0-34.9 kg/m2) was linked to a 27 per cent higher risk of testing positive, which increased to 38 per cent for class II obesity (BMI 35.0-39.9 kg/m2), and an 86 per cent higher risk in class III or morbid obesity (BMI at or above 40.0 kg/m2). Obesity-related factors, including changes to the innate and adaptive immune systems brought on by excess weight, are believed to be associated with an increased risk of contracting various viral diseases. This association between BMI and viral infection risk suggests that a similar relationship may also exist between an individual's BMI and their risk of contracting SARS-CoV-2, said the team led by Hadar Milloh-Raz, from the varsity.