The intersection between COVID-19 and obesity in the context of an emerging country

Pinhel, Marcela AS.; Watanabe, Ligia M.; Noronha, Natalia Y.; Junior, Wilson S.; Nonino, Carla B.

Background & Aims The worldwide outbreak of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has already caused a substantial public health burden. Increasing numbers of studies linked obesity to more severe COVID-19 consequence and mortality, challenging health systems worldwide, especially in emerging countries like Brazil. Herein, we aimed to search the literature and present the current intersection between obesity and COVID‐19 in the Brazilian population. Methods One hundred twenty-five articles were initially searched after duplicate removal, and nine were finally included in our analysis. Results Our findings emphasized the magnitude of COVID-19 infection in Brazil and the impact of obesity as a risk factor that aggravates the prognosis of outpatients or hospitalized patients. We also demonstrated social aspects of COVID-19 that could act enhancing the obesity condition in Latin American countries. Conclusions A more careful look at the available data could help to understand better the dynamic between obesity and COVID‐19, focusing on the Brazilian population and could eventually guide management strategies and therapies for COVID‐19 in the future.