Dödligt virus från Kina orsakar panik (SARS-CoV-2, COVID-19)

Using data from nearly 150 000 US adults diagnosed with COVID-19 from March to December 2020, the analysis showed that half of the patients were obese and about 28% were overweight based on BMI—calculated as weight in kilograms divided by height in meters squared. Among them, the risk of hospitalization, admission to the intensive care unit, and death were lowest among patients whose BMI was in the healthy range of 18.5 to 24.9 or just above it. The risks rose sharply as BMIs increased.

The relative risk of mechanical ventilation among individuals with the highest BMIs of 45 or greater was up to double that of patients with a healthy weight. In addition, the highest BMIs were linked with a 61% increased risk of death and a 33% increased risk of hospitalization compared with healthy weight. Patients with a BMI between 30 and 34.9 had a 7% increased risk of hospitalization, an 8% increased risk of dying, and a 35% increased risk of mechanical ventilation compared with patients in the healthy weight category.