Obesity in Covid-19

The mechanisms that connect obesity with severe COVID-19 illness are not clearly known but are believed to be multifaceted since obesity itself is the result of a complex interaction between genetic, social, and environmental factors. Obesity restricts the expansion of your lungs and thus the amount of air that you can inhale. Obesity around the abdomen compresses the chest, making it more difficult for the diaphragm to move and the lungs to expand and take in air. This contributes to lower levels of oxygen in the blood, which can worsen the symptoms of COVID-19. You may have noticed an individual with obesity gets breathless even with slightly more than usual activity. However, the good news is that reducing body weight can improve lung function. This has been seen in patients who underwent bariatric surgery and subsequent weight loss. Obesity also affects your body’s defense system (immune system) that tries to ward off invaders (such as viruses). For instance, obesity impairs the functioning of immune cells (such as macrophages) such that these cells became less efficient in overcoming the infection. In simple terms, obesity makes the immune cells sick.