According to a manuscript published in Endocrinology, the journal of the international medical organisation Endocrine Society on September 3, 2020, obesity may cause a hyperactive immune system response to Covid-19 infection that makes it difficult to fight off the virus.
The paper says, obesity which is known to lead to problems like heart disease and diabetes can also make it more difficult to fight Covid-19 infection as it causes a chronic activation of some parts of the immune system that results in a hyperactive immune response in a harmful way.
According to the study’s corresponding author, Durga Singer of the University of Michigan, the Covid-19 pandemic has made us aware of the complex interactions of obesity with infectious diseases, and filled the gaps in our understanding of how chronic health conditions affect our immune responses to acute infection.
The study highlights how one part of the immune system, the macrophage, may be a culprit in driving severe Covid-19 disease. It also focuses on what is already known about the interaction of obesity, macrophages, and other infections like influenza. The findings highlight the importance of understanding how obesity might interact with new drugs or vaccines that are developed for Covid-19.
The paper also describes how the irregular immune responses caused by obesity drive organ injury in severe Covid-19 infection and impair a person’s ability to fight the virus.