Am I clinically vulnerable ?

[JC17fj74]

I'm an otherwise healthy and active 32 year old but have a BMI of 32.
I walk every day and am currently trying to loose weight.
I'm so scared of catching Covid my health anxiety is through the roof because my bmi is high I'm convinced that if I catch it then that's it 😫

They are classing a bmi of over 40 as CV and it’s those who will get the vaccine in the priority groups. At a bmi of 32 I wouldn’t think you’d be classed as vulnerable.

Just for comparison, I’m a similar age and bmi. I’m classed as vulnerable because of asthma but not because of my bmi. I don’t really think of myself as particularly vulnerable even with asthma because I’m young and healthy otherwise, my bmi hasn’t even entered my mind as an issue as it’s not nearing 40.

@Mousehole10

Just for comparison, I’m a similar age and bmi. I’m classed as vulnerable because of asthma but not because of my bmi. I don’t really think of myself as particularly vulnerable even with asthma because I’m young and healthy otherwise, my bmi hasn’t even entered my mind as an issue as it’s not nearing 40.

Thank you for replying 🙂 Although my BMI is 32 I am really active, I do t sit down all day always on the go with my toddler, and we are going for 2 mile walks daily. I don't eat excessively, I eat fruit veg and in moderation but I just CANNOT seem to shift my weight that I put on during pregnancy. I'm 5ft 8 and currently weigh 14st 12lbs. I am trying to lose weight and have just bought a Fitbit. I just get so anxious about catching Covid and have got in my head that because of my BMI then if I caught it then I'd be a goner 😂🤦🏻‍♀️

No at 32 you wouldn't be classed as vulnerable at all. You need bmi to be over 40 to be vulnerable and that's just vulnerable and not clinically extremely vulnerable (so would still have to wait a whilenfor a vaccine)

No, you aren’t really. That’s not to say you definitely wouldn’t become seriously ill, anyone could. But it certainly isn’t as bad as you fear. There is a Covid age calculator that compares people’s risk to the risk a white, non overweight man has at any age. All else being equal, a woman will have a ‘covid age’ five years younger than a man. I think, if I remember rightly, a bmi of 30-35 loses you that. So basically your risk is seen as equivalent to the risk to any healthy, non overweight 32 year old man.

Being obese definitely doesn’t help with Covid or much else so it’s good you are trying to lose some weight, I need to myself but as pregnant right now can’t do anything too drastic. So keep going with that and if covid is a motivational help then use it, but remember it isn’t total doom. Many many overweight and obese people have had mild cases, it’s just one factor. Worth doing something about but not a death sentence!

No, you're not even close to being in a vulnerable category. You have almost zero chance of dying of covid.

That doesn't mean your chance is actually zero - you can die of literally anything, including getting up from your chair, so risk is never zero. But if you're weighing up the chances of different things that can kill you, statistically covid isn't a risk you need to worry about.

That doesn't really add up though does it? I think it's very easy to imagine your diet is good just because it's better than it once was.

I'm 4 inches shorter than you but weigh the same . I had covid in December and was in the at risk group due to type 2 diabetes . I didn't die

@WunWun

That doesn't really add up though does it? I think it's very easy to imagine your diet is good just because it's better than it once was.

Please enlighten me as to what 'doesn't quite add up?'

@Ken1976

I'm 4 inches shorter than you but weigh the same . I had covid in December and was in the at risk group due to type 2 diabetes . I didn't die

Ah thank you for this 😂🤦🏻‍♀️ x

Well, OP, I am 57, bordering on morbidly obese (BMI only just under 40) and have diabetes.

I have also had Covid.

When I did, I looked up a personal risk calculator and plugged in my details. It said my risk of needing hospital care was 1 in 570 and risk of dying a bit under 1 in 3,000. At your age, lower BMI and without diabetes, your risks are going to be 10 or 20 times lower than mine.

To put it another way - the risk of you being seriously ill or dying if you were to catch Covid is really extremely low. You are probably more likely to win the lottery. Well, OK, maybe not that, but more likely to be hit by lightning or bitten by a snake.

I do understand the strength of anxiety, I have suffered with it myself. But do try to put things in perspective. There are plenty of other things you do every day where you are more likely to come to harm.

(I’m fine, by the way).

@PuzzledObserver where did you find the personal risk calculator. That's really reassuring.

For someone of 32 even at my weight (bmi. Like 38) I am more likely to die Crossing the road than I am to be hospitalised for covid

@Bells3032

www.qcovid.org/Home/AcademicLicence?licencedUrl=%2FPatientInformation%2FPatientInformation

@PuzzledObserver ah that's reassuring. My chance of dying is 1 in 250k!!

[quote Bells3032]@PuzzledObserver ah that's reassuring. My chance of dying is 1 in 250k!![/quote]
Does that help ease your anxiety? I hope so - though I do realise anxiety is instinctive and not rational.