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Developed by Pfizer

This information is for people who are:

overweight or obese

Know the    
relationship between    
overweight or obese

and COVID-19

COVID-19 spreads fast. In some people it can start with mild symptoms and quickly progress to more severe disease.

What is COVID-19?

Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is an infectious disease caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus. If you are infected with the virus, you will most likely experience mild to moderate respiratory illness.1

Most people can expect to get better without needing special treatment, but some people can become very sick and require medical attention.1

Are you at increased risk?

3 in 5 (60%)

adults in the United States   
have a chronic disease2

The older you are, the greater the chance of having at least one medical condition that can put you at high risk of getting very sick from COVID-19.3

The likelihood of having one or more such medical conditions increases by3:

10%

for people up to and including age 25 years  

 

33%

for people up to and including age 50 years  

 

66%

for people up to and including age 70 years  

 

You are more likely to develop serious illness from COVID-19 if you have a condition or risk factor like4:

Age

50 years or older

 

Age

Age - 50 years or older

Immunocompromised condition

Weakened  
immune system

 

Immunocompromised condition

Weakened immune system

Cancer

Current or past

 

Cancer

Cancer - current or past

Lung disease

Such as asthma   
(moderate   
to severe)

 

Lung disease

Lung disease such as asthma (moderate to severe)

Overweight or obese

Body Mass Index  
(BMI) >25

 

Overweight or obese

Obesity - Body Mass Index (BMI) >25

Racial and ethnic disparities

Demographics and health equity

 

Racial and ethnic disparities

Demographics and health equity

Heart conditions

Heart failure, coronary artery disease, cardiomyopathies

 

Heart conditions

Heart conditions - heart failure, coronary artery disease, cardiomyopathies

Diabetes

Type 1 or Type 2

 

Diabetes

Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes

This list does not include all possible conditions.

If you have diabetes, heart disease, lung disease, or cancer and you get COVID-19, you are more likely to4-8: 

Get very sick

Be hospitalized

Need a machine to help you breathe

Need intensive care

Die

The number of high-risk medical conditions you have increases your risk of death from COVID-194,7: 

 

Number of high-risk    
medical conditions7

 

Risk of death7

 

0

1x

 

1

1.5x

 

2-5

2.6x

 

6-10

3.3x

 

10+

3.8x

 

the risk of death

 
 

COVID-19 and

being overweight or obese

People are considered to be overweight

People are considered to be obese

Severe obesity

25

BMI

30

BMI

40

BMI

 
if they have a body mass index (BMI) of   
25 kg/m2 or higher, but under 30 kg/m2.4
if they have a body mass index (BMI) of   
30 kg/m2 or higher, but under 40 kg/m2.4
in individuals is a BMI of  
40 kg/m2 or higher.4
Being overweight or obese may increase the risk of severe  
illness from COVID-19.9 The higher a person’s BMI is:
The higher the risk of getting severely sick from COVID-194
The higher the risk of death is from COVID-1910

Obesity also changes immune response and makes it harder to fight infections, which makes someone with obesity more likely to get very sick from COVID-19.11

There is a higher risk of hospitalization from COVID-19 as weight increases.9,10

The risk may triple for people who are obese versus those who are not considered obese.9

The risk of being admitted to an intensive care unit increases by

131%

for people who are considered to be obese and have COVID-19 versus those who are not considered obese and have COVID-19.10

Obesity reduces the amount of air your lungs can hold, making it harder to breathe9

If someone is obese and gets COVID-19, they are

2x

more likely to need a machine (ventilator) to breathe versus someone who is not obese and gets COVID-19.12

If someone is severely obese and gets COVID-19, they are

3x

more likely to need a machine (ventilator) to breathe versus someone who is not severely obese and gets COVID-19.12

If you are obese, you may have other conditions that can put you at risk for getting very sick from COVID-19, such as11,13:

Poor kidney  
function

Heart  
disease

Diabetes  
(especially type 2)

If you think you have been infected with   
COVID-19, remember to ACT fast.

A

Assess

C

Confirm

T

Talk

Assess for COVID-19 symptoms and your risk factors like overweight or obesity

If you have been exposed to COVID-19, you may start having symptoms 2 to 14 days after exposure.14 COVID-19 symptoms can be similar to other infections, like the flu.15

If you have flu-like symptoms, it may be COVID-19.15   
Symptoms of COVID-19 can look like14:

Muscle or   
body aches

Muscle or body aches

Shortness of   
breath or difficulty   
breathing

Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing

Congestion or   
runny nose

Congestion or runny nose

Cough

Cough

Diarrhea

Diarrhea

Fatigue

Fatigue

Fever or chills

Fatigue

Headache

Headache

Nausea or   
vomiting

Nausea or vomiting

New loss of smell   
and/or taste

New loss of smell and/or taste

Sore throat

Sore threat
 

Confirm that you have COVID-19 with your healthcare professional

If you have any COVID-19 symptoms or test positive, talk to your healthcare professional right away.   

If you do not have symptoms but think you’ve been exposed to COVID-19, wait at least 5 full days after exposure and then test for COVID-19 infection.16

If you have COVID-19, do not delay. Even if your symptoms are mild, treatment must be started within days after you first develop symptoms to be effective.17

If you find it hard to breathe, get immediate medical attention.18

Talk to your healthcare professional about treatment options

Treatment options for COVID-19 can be discussed to see if one is right for you.17 

These treatments must be taken within days if you begin having symptoms.17

This is why it is so important to contact your healthcare professional as soon as possible.17

References

  1. World Health Organization. Coronavirus disease (COVID-19). Accessed October 12, 2022. https://www.who.int/health-topics/ coronavirus#tab=tab_1
  2. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Chronic diseases in America. Reviewed May 6, 2022. Accessed October 12, 2022. https://www. cdc.gov/chronicdisease/resources/infographic/chronic-diseases.htm
  3. Clark A, Jit M, Warren-Gash C, et al. How many are at increased risk of severe COVID-19 disease? Rapid global, regional and national estimates for 2020. Posted April 22, 2020. Accessed October 13, 2022. https://doi.org/10.1101/2020.04.18.20064774
  4. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. People with certain medical conditions. Updated September 2, 2022. Accessed October 12, 2022. https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/need-extra-precautions/people-with-medical-conditions.html#:~:text=Older%20 adults%20are%20at%20highest,18%2D29%20years
  5. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Basics of COVID-19. Updated November 4, 2021. Accessed October 12, 2022. https://www.cdc. gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/your-health/about-covid-19/basics-covid-19.html
  6. European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control. Risk factors and risk groups. Updated January 21, 2022. Accessed October 12, 2022. https://www.ecdc.europa.eu/en/covid-19/latest-evidence/risk-factors-risk-groups
  7. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Underlying medical conditions associated with higher risk for severe COVID-19: information for healthcare professionals. Updated June 15, 2022. Accessed October 12, 2022. https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/hcp/clinical-care/underlyingconditions.html
  8. Gao YD, Ding M, Dong X, et al. Risk factors for severe and critically ill COVID-19 patients: a review. Allergy. 2021;76(2):428-455. doi:10.1111/ all.14657
  9. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Obesity, race/ethnicity, and COVID-19. Accessed November 8, 2022. https://www.cdc.gov/obesity/data/obesity-and-covid-19.html
  10. Xcenda; AmerisourceBergen. The impact of obesity on COVID-19 outcomes of hospitalizations and mortality. Accessed November 8, 2022. https://www.xcenda.com/insights/the-impact-of-obesity-on-covid-19-outcomes-of-hospitalizations-and-mortality
  11. Mohammad S, Aziz R, Al Mahri S, et al. Obesity and COVID-19: what makes obese host so vulnerable? Immun Ageing. 2021;18(1):1. doi:10.1186/s12979-020-00212-x
  12. Simonnet A, Chetboun M, Poissy J, et al; LICORN and the Lille COVID-19 and Obesity study group. High prevalence of obesity in severe acute respiratory syndrome Coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) requiring invasive mechanical ventilation. Obesity (Silver Spring). 2020;28(7):1195-1199. doi:10.1002/oby.2283
  13. Landstra CP, de Koning EJP. COVID-19 and diabetes: understanding the interrelationship and risks for a severe course. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne). 2021;12:649525. doi:10.3389/fendo.2021.649525.
  14. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Symptoms of COVID-19. Updated August 11, 2022. Accessed October 12, 2022. https://www. cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/symptoms-testing/symptoms.html
  15. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Similarities and differences between flu and COVID-19. Reviewed September 28, 2022. Accessed October 12, 2022. https://www.cdc.gov/flu/symptoms/flu-vs-covid19.htm
  16. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. What to do if you were exposed to COVID-19. Updated August 24, 2022. Accessed October 31, 2022. https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/your-health/if-you-were-exposed.html
  17. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. COVID-19 treatments and medications. Updated August 5, 2022. Accessed October 12, 2022. https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/your-health/treatments-for-severe-illness.html
  18. World Health Organization. COVID-19: symptoms and severity. Updated April 18, 2022. Accessed October 12, 2022. https://www.who.int/ westernpacific/emergencies/covid-19/information/asymptomatic-covid-19