Sick more often and more severely: identified groups of people most vulnerable to COVID-19

COVID-19 incidence statistics among e-cigarette smokers and obese people surprised researchers, writes "Voice of America".

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American scientists have found out which segments of the population are most susceptible to the incidence of severe coronavirus. In the course of research, scientists have refuted the myth that COVID-19 is supposedly less dangerous for smokers. In addition, the epicenters of the incidence of coronavirus in the United States coincided with statistics for areas where a large number of people suffer from overweight problems. The data provide a different perspective on the spread of the pandemic.

Scientists learned about the connection between smoking e-cigarettes and coronavirus by accident. Initially, the study focused on smoking among young people, but in the process, scientists came to unexpected conclusions.

Smoking e-cigarettes increases the likelihood of contracting COVID-19 by five times, according to a study. The age of the smoker does not matter.

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Among smokers who smoke both electronic and regular cigarettes, the risk of COVID-19 is seven times higher, the author of the study, Stanford University professor Bonnie Halpern-Felsher, Stanford University, told the Voice of America correspondent.

According to research, this is due to the negative impact that cigarettes (both electronic and conventional) have on the lungs and the immune system.

"Many people think e-cigarettes are less harmful," says a Voice of America interviewee. - In fact, there is no convincing data to support this. But there is research that e-cigarettes and regular cigarettes harm in different ways. It's like jumping from a 10-story building versus a 20-story building. Yes, the tenth floor is not that high, but the consequences of the jump will be the same. "

Doctors warned about the dangers of electronic cigarettes even before the coronavirus pandemic. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that vaping led to a spike in severe cases of pneumonia, with most of the cases being young men. In addition to nicotine, additives in e-cigarettes are dangerous, which build up in the lungs and cause inflammation. But not only.

“Teens and young people are more likely to share the device after purchase,” says Halpern-Felscher. - It is possible that they smoke an electronic cigarette and share it with each other. This in itself increases the chance of transmission of COVID-19, and they also touch their mouth with their hand more often when smoking.

Scientists at the University of Alabama have found a link between obesity and deaths from COVID-19. According to the study, every tenth death from coronavirus occurs in an overweight person.

Scientists have found that obese people are more likely to get coronavirus, have more acute symptoms and are at an increased risk of death.

“It has long been known that obesity leads to heart disease, diabetes, cancer, and this is happening all over the world,” says Lisa Pawloski, University of Alabama, professor at the Voice of America in an interview with the Voice of America Russian Service. “This is one of the reasons why we need to think about improving diet and increasing physical activity. But surprisingly, we are now seeing a link between obesity and infectious diseases. "

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According to scientists, the coronavirus is especially dangerous for people whose body mass index is over 30. It can be determined independently: there are many calculators on the Internet that calculate the index based on the height and weight of a person. For example, the body mass index of a man with a height of 178 centimeters and a weight of 78 kilograms is about 25, and gaining a few extra pounds will already mean falling into a risk group.

Scientists hope that the results of the study will help epidemiologists more accurately determine the location of future outbreaks of the disease. The fact is that the statistics of areas where a large part of the population has problems with being overweight almost coincided with the map of coronavirus outbreaks in the United States. This data will help the authorities to better allocate resources when predicting new outbreaks of infection.

“Now we can find out not only where there is an increased risk of morbidity, but also determine in which areas there is a lack of equipment or qualified specialists. All this allows you to better prepare for a pandemic and help more people, ”said study co-author, University of Alabama professor Kevin Curtin (University of Alabama).

The research results force us to look differently at the way of life during a pandemic. After all, every extra kilogram gained during quarantine only increases the risk of illness.

“Many people struggle to stay active during isolation. We try to combine childcare, work and household chores. And fitness often fades into the background, and this is wrong, - says study co-author, graduate student of the University of Alabama Penelope Mitchell, (Penelope Mitchell, University of Alabama).

The studies have brought doctors closer to understanding why some people are asymptomatic with COVID-19, while others require emergency medical care.

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