When Two Pandemics Meet: Why Is Obesity Associated with Increased COVID-19 Mortality?

ABSTRACT

A growing body of evidence indicates that obesity is strongly and independently associated with adverse outcomes of COVID-19, including death. By combining emerging knowledge of the pathological processes involved in COVID-19 with insights into the mechanisms underlying the adverse health consequences of obesity, we present some hypotheses regarding the deleterious impact of obesity on the course of COVID-19. These hypotheses are testable and could guide therapeutic and preventive interventions. As obesity is now almost ubiquitous and no vaccine for COVID-19 is currently available, even a modest reduction in the impact of obesity on mortality and morbidity from this viral infection could have profound consequences for public health.