Hospitalised COVID-19 patients with obesity significantly more likely to need ICU care

People with obesity who are hospitalised with COVID-19 have a significantly higher rate of ICU admissions. They also have longer duration of ICU stay compared to people with a normal BMI. The researchers analyzed data from 3,268 adult patients hospitalized with COVID-19 at five hospitals within the Yale-New Haven Health System between March and November 2020. Among hospitalized patients, 43% had obesity, 15.8% died, and 24.2% required ICU-level care. Patients with obesity were 26% more likely to need ICU care overall than patients who did not have obesity. COVID-19 patients with higher BMI measurements were even more likely to require ICU care. Individuals with severe obesity, or a BMI of 40 or higher, were twice as likely to need ICU care compared with patients with a normal BMI. The study did not find a higher risk of death in people with obesity compared to those with normal BMI