2. It poses a threat to people who deal with obesity
While it’s well known that seniors and those with underlying health problems such as heart disease and lung disease are at a greater risk of contracting and dying from the new coronavirus, less discussed and mentioned is the fact that obesity and diabetes can also make people more susceptible.
“Patients with diabetes are more susceptible to severe complications from viral infections of any kind, and as a result, are considered a high risk population for COVID-19,” says Rocio Salas-Whalen, MD, of New York Endocrinology. “Due to the pathophysiology of diabetes, patients can take longer to heal, putting them at risk for developing complications from the virus. This is true with any type of infection in diabetes.”
Salas-Walen also points to a research that has found that excess weight changes the efficacy of the flu shot. Taking into consideration that more than two-thirds of American citizens are overweight, that could have major repercussions as coronavirus spreads in the United States.
