The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has been continually giving advice and educating the public on the COVID-19 pandemic.
In a new study published this week, the CDC found that 78% of people who were hospitalized, required a ventilator, or died from COVID-19 have been obese or overweight, reported CNBC.
To be classified as overweight means you have a body mass index (BMI) of 25 or more, while obesity is determined by having a BMI of 30 or more.
“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 CDC said.
The study looked at the 148,494 adults who tested positive for COVID-19 during an inpatient visit or in the emergency room at 238 US hospitals from March to December 2020. In total, 71,491 people had to be hospitalized, of which 27.8% were overweight and 50.2% were obese, the CDC report said.
Patients with BMIs under 25 had the lowest risk for hospitalizations, being admitted into the ICU, and dying from the novel virus. The risk of severe illness “sharply increased” as the BMIs rose, mostly with people 65 and older, according to the study.
The agency noted the study had its limitations as only patients whose weight and height were reported were part of the data. In addition, only COVID patients who received care in a hospital were studied.
The CDC received the data from PHD-SR, an extensive, hospital-based database.
As of 2018, the agency’s most recent data indicates that over 42% of the US population is considered obese.
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