THE IMPACT OF OBESITY ON COVID-19 SEVERITY: A CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY AT SUB POPULATION OF KARACHI.

JPUMHS;2024:14:03,59,68.http://doi.org/10.46536/jpumhs/2024/14.03.536

Abstract

ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND:The introduction of SARS-CoV-2 has caused considerable hurdles to healthcare systems globally,
particularly for people with pre-existing health disorders. Due to viral reservoirs in adipose tissue and dysregulated
inflammatory reactions, obesity has become a distinct risk factor for severe SARS and MERS infections. To understand the
impact of obesity as a risk factor for many health disorders, particularly COVID-19, more research is
required.METHODOLOGY:The current cross-sectional study was carried out at Ziauddin University to look into the
connection between obesity and the severity of COVID-19. Between 2021 and 2022, PCR-positive patients who sought
medical attention at the hospital's OPDs or received inpatient services were included. Data were gathered from medical
records while adhering to ethical standards. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and Chi-Square testing, with
a significance level of p 0.05. RESULTS:In this study, the majority of patients were male and older than 50, and there was a
strong correlation between age and illness severity. Common signs of disease severity included fever, coughing, and
dyspnea. Several inflammatory markers, including CRP 0.001, TLC 0.001, ferritin 0.001, and LDH 0.001, were found to be
strongly related to COVID-19 severity. Age and gender had no discernible influence on the outcome; however, fever was
discovered to be connected to it. Additionally, the study classified patients' Body Mass Index BMI into several ranges,
finding no link between gender and disease severity as determined by BMI. CONCLUSION:The current study
demonstrates that age, symptoms, and specific inflammatory markers significantly contribute to the severity of COVID-19,
while gender and BMI do not exhibit significant associations.