Who's Hit Hardest By COVID-19? Why Obesity, Stress And Race All Matter
Data shows people with certain chronic conditions are more likely to get severe COVID-19 symptoms. Why are they hit harder and what explains the disease's disproportionate affect on African Americans?
As data emerges on the spectrum of symptoms caused by COVID-19, it's clear that people with chronic health conditions are being hit harder.
While many people experience mild illness, 89% of people with COVID-19 who were sick enough to be hospitalized had at least one chronic condition. About half had high blood pressure and obesity, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. And about a third had diabetes and a third had cardiovascular disease. So, what explains this?
"Obesity is a marker for a number of other problems," explains Dr. , a public health researcher at the Indiana University School of Medicine. It's increasingly common for those who develop obesity to develop
