Obesity as a Predictor for Adverse Outcomes Among COVID-19 Patients: A Meta-Analysis

Abstract Background: The 2019 Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (COVID-19) is an unexpected pandemic causing mortalities across all ages. However, the severity of its health implications is mostly reported in persons with chronic health conditions with obesity being identified as one of the leading predisposing factors in acquiring the novel virus and developing its adverse complications. This meta-analysis sought to determine the estimated association between obesity and adverse outcomes among COVID-19 patients. Methods: We followed the recommended PRISMA guidelines in executing this study. A systematic literature search was conducted in PubMed, Google Scholar, and ScienceDirect for published literature between December 1, 2019, and October 2, 2020. The data for the study were pooled from studies that contained the search terms "Obesity" AND (COVID-19 or 2019-nCoV or Coronavirus or SARS-CoV-2) AND ("ICU admission" OR "Hospitalization" OR "Disease severity" OR "Invasive mechanical ventilator" OR "Death" OR "Mortality"). All the online searches were supplemented by reference screening of retrieved studies for additional literature. The pooled odds ratio (OR) and confidence intervals (CI) from the retrieved studies were calculated using the random effect model (Inverse-Variance method). Findings: A total of five (5) studies with a combined sample size of 335,192 patients were included in the meta-analysis. The pooled OR from the final analysis showed that patients who are severely obese were more likely to experience adverse outcome (death or ICU admission or needing IMV or hospitalization) compared to the normal patients [OR = 2.81, 95% CI = 2.33 – 3.40, I2 = 29%].Conclusion: Severe obesity is a risk factor in developing adverse outcomes among COVID-19 patients. The finding of the study signifies promotive, preventive, and curative attention to be accorded patients diagnosed with severe obesity and COVID-19.