An Analysis on the Relationship between Obesity and COVID-19 Mortality

Xinyue Liu

2022

Abstract

Since 2020, obesity and coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) have become two of the most globally challenged health and medical conditions, and the proportion of obese population and numbers of deaths for COVID-19 continue to grow. Obesity has been claimed as a possible risk factor of COVID-19 infection and mortality by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the World Obesity Federation. However, the mechanisms about why obesity worsens COVID-19 symptoms have not been extensively and thoroughly studied. So, literature research was performed in this study to propose the reason for declaring obesity as a risk factor of severe COVID-19 and COVID-19 mortality. In conclusion, obesity induces endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress and vitamin D deficiency, which causes localized inflammation and impedes the immune responses to SARS-CoV-2 infections. As ER stress state prolongs, unfolded protein response (UPR) and apoptosis may be induced, which give rise to injury of tissues and organs. Although the obese population has increased lung surfactants to balance their increased chest wall restraints, SARS-Cov-2 infections strongly impair lung surfactants and enhance mechanical compression. These elements decrease lung compliance in obese COVID-19 patients; thus, the patients experience difficulties of breathing. Therefore, the susceptibility to the COVID-19 mortality increases. Further research is still needed to test these theoretical ideas and to explore more on relationships between obesity and COVID-19.

Paper Citation

in Harvard Style

Liu X. (2022). An Analysis on the Relationship between Obesity and COVID-19 Mortality. In Proceedings of the 1st International Conference on Health Big Data and Intelligent Healthcare - Volume 1: ICHIH, ISBN 978-989-758-596-8, pages 215-220. DOI: 10.5220/0011244900003438

in Bibtex Style

@conference{ichih22,
author={Xinyue Liu},
title={An Analysis on the Relationship between Obesity and COVID-19 Mortality},
booktitle={Proceedings of the 1st International Conference on Health Big Data and Intelligent Healthcare - Volume 1: ICHIH,},
year={2022},
pages={215-220},
publisher={SciTePress},
organization={INSTICC},
doi={10.5220/0011244900003438},
isbn={978-989-758-596-8},
}

in EndNote Style

TY - CONF

JO - Proceedings of the 1st International Conference on Health Big Data and Intelligent Healthcare - Volume 1: ICHIH,
TI - An Analysis on the Relationship between Obesity and COVID-19 Mortality
SN - 978-989-758-596-8
AU - Liu X.
PY - 2022
SP - 215
EP - 220
DO - 10.5220/0011244900003438