Is it a factor in COVID deaths? First I’d heard that, but I wouldn’t be surprised. A lot of people who are obese are that way because of poor diets, which can also cause inflammation and weakened immune systems.
[Update a few minutes later]
The monumental failure of the CDC (and FDA, which is responsible for the terrible nutritional advice that causes inflammation and obesity). As an example of its mission creep that prevented it from doing its actual job, WTF is the CDC doing being involved in workplace safety? To the degree that that’s a federal responsibility (it isn’t), that’s the job of OSHA.
[Update a while later]
Related: The tradeoff between big government and competent government.
[Update late morning]
40% of extreme cases suffer neurological symptoms. That’s bad, but as noted, that can happen with the flu, too.
[Update a few minutes later]
Fast tracking to find the best therapies. This is not FDA approved…
[Thursday-afternoon update]
Related to the post topic? Little Fat Man Kim Jong Un fails to show up at a celebration.
[Update Friday morning]
This is possibly related: Glucose metabolism may play a key role. That, along with the diabetes, would be consistent with the obesity. I’ll bet dollars to high-glycemic doughnuts that diet is a factor. Maybe putting people on keto would be palliative.
[Bumped]
[Update a few minutes later]
Just to follow up on the keto thought, unfortunately, there are few diets worse for health than hospital diets, which follow the disastrous FDA guidelines.
The link of inflammation with obesity may be more direct than diet. The fat cells are part of the immune system. That system must maintain a fine balance between being able to act, and not attacking the body itself.
When there are too many fat cells, they push the immune system into a low grade level of inflammation. This may predispose the body to the “hyper-inflammation” described in the article. Likewise, when people are so undernourished that they have too few fat cells, as in bulemia, etc., then their immune system does not respond when an infection occurs, and they can die from infections they should have been able to fight off.