UAE Covid: Are you at higher risk of getting coronavirus?

Ras Al Khaimah - Out of 3,277 people assessed in a study, 51 per cent thrived on a fast-food diet.

Covid-19 can infect anyone, however, certain groups of people are at higher risk of contracting the virus or developing complications. The elderly and those with underlying health conditions have been considered vulnerable. But doctors in the UAE have stressed that poor lifestyle is another Covid risk factor. Obesity, in particular, must be addressed.

“A study has found that obese people who contracted Covid were 113 per cent more likely to land in hospital than people of healthy weight,” advanced laparoscopic surgeon Dr JS Rajkumar had explained.

Losing weight, he said, can help a person tackle chronic diseases like diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol, which make one vulnerable to Covid-19.

A recent Covid-19 risk profiling study conducted by a UAE healthcare provider has found that out of 3,277 people who were assessed on the risk of contracting the disease — 62 per cent were overweight; 51 per cent thrived on fast-food diet; 45 per cent were smokers; 40 per cent were over 50 years old, and people with cardiac ailments were 33 per cent — all contributing factors that put a person at risk of getting infected by the Covid virus.

The study conducted by Arabian Wellness, RAK Hospital’s Lifestyle and Wellness Division, also found that 26 per cent of those studied hardly did any physical activity, while 23 per cent were diabetics.

Mads Bo Larsen, vice-president and general manager of pharmaceutical giant Novo Nordisk, stressed that in the time of Covid, it has become more relevant than ever to initiate obesity treatment. “Studies show that people with obesity are not only more susceptible to get infected with the Covid-19 virus, they also — once infected — have much higher risks of developing serious complications due to the infection.”