Abstract

Backgrounds: Covid-19 pandemic is a major multidimensional problem facing the globe. Movement restriction, reduced social interactions, sedentary lifestyles and other factors are presumed to affect food intake patterns, metabolism and metabolic syndrome risks. However, there is paucity of evidences on the link between obesity and Covid-19 in the case of Ethiopia. This paper is to pinpoint the link between obesity and Covid-19 and recommend potential areas that need to be investigated further in Ethiopia.

Methods: A thorough search of literatures focusing on the effect of Covid-19 on obesity and vice versa published in reputable journals starting from 2019 to January 2021. Literatures was searched using keywords such as; Covid-19, obesity, obesity and covid-19, effects of obesity on Covid-19 and others. The literatures were evaluated and included, the results were summarized systematically in quantitative and narrative reviews.

Results: Obesity along with its dietary and unhealthy lifestyle factors lowers immune system and increase susceptibility to covid-19 and clinical severity of the disease. Obesity evidenced by body mass index or visceral fat showed to increase the severity, the need for mechanical ventilation and mortality from Covid-19 (P<0.005). Obesity showed to increase up to two fold increase in Covid-19 risk, 74% to be admitted, and 50% risks of death. Ethiopia where 19% and 5.4% adults were overweight and obesity in which the current trend is expected to increase in the future. Covid-19 is affecting an estimated above 132,000 and at the same time people’s lifestyle, social interaction, economy, and food intake pattern are changing especially in the urban settings. This is expected to affect individual’s susceptibility and associated with worst treatment prognosis. In addition, prevailing food insecurity and lower intake of nutritious and health foods due to affordability can potentially increase the risk covid-19 through weak immune system.

Conclusion and Recommendations: The bidirectional link between obesity and Covid-19 risks and severity is positive from different literatures in other countries. However, context specific evidences on the obesity burden and its association with treatment outcomes are limited which need to be investigated further in our setting.

Key words: Obesity; Covid-19; pandemic; Adults; Ethiopia