CAPE TOWN - Obesity has always been a concern regarding Covid-19 and the complications that may arise but further discoveries suggest not only does obesity increase the risk of Covid-19 infection and its outcomes but may even reduce the effectiveness of the Covid-19 vaccine.
In a recent report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), after analysing Covid-19 hospital data from 13 sites, it was discovered that 73 percent of nurses who had been hospitalised due to Covid-19 suffered from obesity with approximately 28 percent were admitted to an intensive care unit and 16 percent required invasive mechanical ventilation. 4 percent had unfortunately died.
Two studies, published in the NEJM Journal Watch, included nearly 2500 Covid-19 patients in the first with the second including around 7000 hospitalised patients had discovered those who had both Covid-19 and obesity displayed a higher risk of death higher 21-day mortality rate than normal-weight individuals.
According to a study published in the Wiley Online Library, the Covid-19 pandemic occurred during a time where the global overweight/obesity rate amongst individuals continues rising, with the lead authors of the study wrote, "In fact, almost all countries today have a prevalence of individuals with overweight/obesity greater than 20%. To date, no country has experienced a reduction in the prevalence of individuals with overweight/obesity."
As many Covid-19 vaccine trials are currently underway, many have been focusing on the efficiency in the elderly, but as many experts are now identifying obesity as an independent risk factor of Covid-19 with an overwhelming amount of evidence and studies presenting the dangers, further research may need to be done in order to assure the efficiency of the Covid-19 vaccine in those who are overweight and display slower immune responses.
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