The impact of obesity on hospitalized patients with COVID-19 infection in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia
Authors: AlKhafaji Dania ,   Department of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Khobar, Saudi Arabia, Al Argan Reem ,   Department of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Khobar, Saudi Arabia, Albahrani Salma ,   Department of Internal Medicine, King Fahad Military Medical Complex, Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, Al Elq Abdulmohsen ,   Department of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Khobar, Saudi Arabia, Albaker Waleed ,   Department of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Khobar, Saudi Arabia, Al-Hariri Mohammed ,   Department of Physiology, College of Medicine, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Dammam, Saudi Arabia,   Mohammed Al-Hariri, Department of Physiology, College of Medicine, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Dammam, Saudi Arabia. E-mail: mtalhariri@iau.edu.sa, Alwaheed Abrar ,   Department of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Khobar, Saudi Arabia, Alqatari Safi ,   Department of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Khobar, Saudi Arabia, Alzaki Alaa ,   Department of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Khobar, Saudi Arabia, Alsaid Abir ,   Department of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Khobar, Saudi Arabia, Alwazzeh Marwan ,   Department of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Khobar, Saudi Arabia, AlRubaish Fatimah ,   Department of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Khobar, Saudi Arabia, Alelq Zainab ,   Department of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Khobar, Saudi Arabia, Alsaif Tariq ,   Department of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Khobar, Saudi Arabia, Zeeshan Mohammad ,   Department of Medical Education, College of Medicine, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Dammam, Saudi Arabia, Alzahrani Nada ,   Department of Internal Medicine, King Fahad Military Medical Complex, Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, Alhusil Abdulrahman ,   Department of Internal Medicine, King Fahad Military Medical Complex, Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, Gasmelseed Batool ,   Department of Internal Medicine, King Fahad Military Medical Complex, Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, Zainuddin Fatma ,   Department of Medical Allied Services, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Khobar, Saudi Arabia, Alhwiesh Amani ,   Department of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Khobar, Saudi Arabia, Alrubaish Nafie ,   Department of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Khobar, Saudi Arabia
Published: November 2022

This study aimed to assess the association of obesity with the severity and outcome of COVID-19 infection. A retrospective observational study was performed from March to September 2020 in Saudi Arabia. Baseline and laboratory data were collected from the inpatient health record system. The cohort was divided into three groups based on body mass index. Following this, the severity and outcome of COVID-19 disease were analyzed between the three groups. Of the 502 COVID-19 cases included, 244 (48.5%) were obese. Obesity was significantly associated with severe (53.5%) or critical (28%) COVID-19 infection (P<0.001) and a higher need for ICU admission (35.8%, P=0.034). Multivariate analysis showed that overweight/obesity was an independent risk factor of severe (P<0.001) as well as critical COVID-19 infection (P=0.026, respectively) and a predictor of a higher risk of ICU admission (P=0.012). Class I obesity was associated with severe-critical COVID-19 disease (33.6%, P=0.042) compared to other obesity classes. Obesity is an independent risk factor for severe-critical COVID-19 infection and a higher risk of ICU admission. Clinicians should give special attention to such populations and prioritize vaccination programs to improve outcomes.