Obesity expert warns of virus dangers for overweight patients
DOCTORS working in Ireland’s intensive care units have been ‘‘genuinely struck’’ by the numbers of Covid-19 patients who are overweight or obese, according to Professor Donal O’Shea, the HSE’s Clinical Lead on Obesity.
Prof O’Shea warned that Covid-19 carriers who are overweight or obese also pose a greater risk of passing on the virus to others.
He explained that this is because patients who are overweight or obese may remain asymptomatic for longer and also carry the virus for longer.
Speaking to the Sunday
Independent, Prof O’Shea said: “As is the case with many other viral infections like SARS, a patient who is overweight or obese may have the virus for a longer period before they become symptomatic and when they become symptomatic they will get the condition to a worse degree and they will remain infective for longer than people who don’t have obesity.”
He added: “They also get a more severe form of the illness and are more likely to need intensive care treatment and more likely to need intubation and ventilation while in intensive care.”
His comments came as a new study has found that obesity increases the risk of death from Covid-19 by 40pc.
But despite the risks Prof O’Shea said the issue is not receiving the same public attention as other vulnerable groups such as the older adults.
“It’s not being talked about,” he said.
“And I am not 100pc sure why, because the HSE have addressed it and issued guidelines.”
Pointing to British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, Prof O’Shea illustrated how the prime minister’s experience of the disease was far more severe than his two leaner colleagues who also contracted Covid-19.
He said: “The UK health secretary Matt Hancock, Britain’s chief medical officer Chris Whitty and Boris all tested positive for the virus but Boris was the only one who ended up in hospital and in intensive care.”
“Boris is overweight and the other two are lean, so it is a visible marker and weight is in the mix but it is not being openly discussed.”
Asked if the issue still carries a stigma that other at-risk groups do not have to contend with, Prof O’Shea said: “Absolutely, and I think the lack of discussion is clear evidence that we have a long way to go in terms of getting society to face up to the problem and address it — because less obesity will mean less sickness with Covid-19 and then less burden on the healthcare system.”
He stressed that death from conditions linked to being overweight and obese is “an every year loss of life” and the numbers are increasing, “so it’s really important that we grasp the nettle”.
“Clearly, Covid-19 is an acute problem with a rapid response,” he said, warning that “obesity has come slowly over the last 40 years to be the pandemic that it is. And it is claiming 4,000 lives in Ireland each year.”
Meanwhile, although the emotional strain of lockdown has been blamed for weight gain, Prof O’Shea says there is still time for people to get their health back on track.
“There was a honeymoon effect and some euphoria at the start of this when it still felt unreal, but now we are entering into the phase where this is a new reality and a grind and that is very tiring and difficult, so knowing we are in for the long haul I think, from here out, people can go back to the basics around managing their weight.
“If they put on a few pounds in lockdown, now is the time to turn that around.”
He pointed to the closure of the country’s biggest fast food chains as having an unexpected benefit: “The closure of Burger King and McDonald’s — in spite of their delivery service — is a positive because it is not the same as people going in to eat there two or three times a week, so if it gets people to break the habit of frequently visiting the outlets then that could be a good thing.”
He added: “There is a lot more home cooking and family meal time happening now and families are eating together seven days a week. That is a real positive.”