CDC: Overweight, Obese Account For 78% of Serious COVID-19 Cases

By Staff, Agencies

Obese or overweight individuals account for the vast majority of serious COVID-19 cases resulting in death, or requiring hospitalization and ventilation, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC] Monday.

The study published by the US national health institute showed that some 78% of those serious cases reported from March to December 2020 had a body mass index [BMI] of 25 or more, classified as overweight.

During this period, 71,491 adults were hospitalized out of 148,494 diagnosed with COVID-19 in inpatient and emergency visits. Of these, 27.8 percent were overweight and 50.2 were obese [having a BMI of 30 or more].

The data show the risk of death is particularly high for those under the age of 65, the CDC said.

More than 40 percent of Americans are obese, according to the CDC’s most recent statistics from 2018.

“As clinicians develop care plans for COVID-19 patients, they should consider the risk for severe outcomes in patients with higher BMIs, especially for those with severe obesity,” the report said.

Blacks and Hispanics, groups hit particularly hard by the coronavirus in the US, are also at higher risk of being overweight, the CDC noted.

The study was based on PHD-SC, a large hospital database, and only included people who reported weight and height. The CDC said other limitations in the study included basing finding only on hospitalized individuals.