Have any obese people survived covid unscathed?

[JKW36]

So I've seen in the news throughout about obesity causing problems relating to covid.
I have also seen many photos of people on news articles who have sadly passed from covid at a young age and they are almost always overweight.

I myself am very overweight. I am mid 30s. Since covid appeared I have been trying to lose weight. Infact I tried so hard I put myself into hospital. But of course when you have a lot to lose it isnt going to happen overnight. So, I am still very overweight. Need to lose about 9 stone now.

Ive been very careful throughout and still do but every time I get a sniffle I am terrified and it's really starting to effect me mentally.
My son has come down with something (I don't know how as he doesn't go anywhere) and I can feel he's passed it on to me. We are going for a test this afternoon. I'm hoping it's not covid but I am so scared that if I have got covid or I do ever get covid it is going to kill me.
Do you know anyone who is overweight who has had covid and recovered? As obviously you never see the good news online.

My neighbour is obese (must be close to, if not already BMI of 40) and had Covid back last spring. Had about 6 weeks off work but recovered fine.

Yes. Friends of ours, a couple, both basically had a bad dose of flu (although loss of taste/smell stuck around for one of them for a couple of months).

My friend's BMI is 35. She had it. She had a cough temp. Didn't need medical intervention. Back at work after 2 weeks.

I'm not going to lie - DH is clinically obese, probably needs to lose 3st.

He was a bit ill for about a week 🤷🏼‍♀️

Yes of course. Most people don’t die with covid. Obesity increases your risk but it’s by no means a done deal.

Yes lots.

I was fine my BMI is over 40 and I'm almost 40. I have had worse illnesses.

DH about half my size and much fitter was hospitalised.

Take a high dose vitamin D and try and eat as healthily as you can.

My obese cousin, 69, dementia and type 2 diabetes just went off his food for 2 days and otherwise had no symptoms.

Of course! Please try not to worry OP

Obviously covid can be extremely serious, but it is not an automatic death sentence for the vast vast majority of people.

I personally know a couple of obese people who have tested positive with nothing more than the slightest cough.

Similarly, I have a close family member who is elderly, male, with diabetes and a range of heart conditions who described his experience as no worse than a cold.

We all need to take covid seriously for the good of the population as a whole, but please try not to let your worries spiral (easier said than done I know!).

Obviously "any" obese people have survived it. 3.5 million people have had it, 28% of Britons are obese (63% overweight). So, assuming an even spread of cases, that would be about a million obese people who have had it. Deaths are 100,000 so obviously the majority of obese people have survived unscathed.

Friend had it, probably 5 stone overweight. She is fine. I would focus on the other stuff that will help if you do get Covid - eg getting plenty of good sleep, eating a wide variety of fruit/veg to support your gut health & also lowering stress levels - these are the things that really boost your immune system, so you can fight off Covid (& anything else). Have got myself out of the obese category by doing this & even though I know there’s a big element of luck to it, I feel so much more positive.

2 very obese relatives had little more than a cold. A couple of people I know (friend and distant relative) died but 1 had an underlying issue and the other did not. So although the risk of having a severe illness are higher if you’re obese it is still a relatively small risk especially if you are young.

I wrote long answer and lost it. I'm 63, obese, diabetic, asthmatic, i've had it and survived, didn't go to hospital.

Yes I am obese and I've had had it, it was like a bad flu, took about a week to feel back to normal and no (thankfully) long term symptoms.

Well done for shifting some weight. That’s amazing but sorry to hear you were hospitalised. Hope you have found balance now.

Yes. As PPs have said. Mostly people recover. You are doing the right things by living as healthily as possible.

I have two relatives in their 60s, both overweight, one significantly so, and with other risk factors too. Both had very mild cases - in one instance, stomach problems and lethargy for a couple of weeks, now fine. In the other a mild cough for about a week. Also now fine.

Thank you so much for your comments. I think a lot of it is down to luck :-( thank you for filling me with a little bit of confidence. I am a worrier by nature and covid has given me the push I needed to lose weight

I know 5 obese people who've had it, none hospitalised. They did all have it quite badly though compared to people who are thinner - at least a week in bed, 2-3 weeks off work and relentless fatigue for another month. Of the thinner people, 3 asymptomatic, 1 as bad as the obese people and 3 who had it like a week long flu then completely better after a fortnight.

My BMI is just a shade under 40, I’m 57 years old and have diabetes. Tested positive 4 weeks ago, I’m fine.

More to the point, I used the QCovid risk tool. It said my risk of needing hospital admission was 1 in 570, and risk of death was 1 in 2,800

Most obese people will be absolutely fine. Age is a much bigger risk factor. But even most obese elderly obese people will be fine.

Yes.

How many "they were very elderly and about to die anyway" 90 year old obese people do you know?

Almost everything that is killing you to the point that you are "about to die anyway" makes you skinny.

As we are told daily on here "the average age of a person dead from covid is 82".

How many elderly people are obese?

If obesity is so unhealthy how the hell do they live long enough to be elderly?

It's all bullshit.

Covid does seem to find a person's vulnerabilities. BMI's not necessarily one of them.

My sister in law.

Morbidly obese and is also on dialysis as her kidney transplant failed.

Felt rubbish for a few days. Back working from home after about a week. Loss of taste and smell still ongoing about 3 weeks later

yep

BMI 52 - had it last year

Had worse colds

I did, bmi is 31 and I had backache, diarreah, fatigue and a blocked nose. I still feel tierd though.

Well done losing weight. Keep on at it! The probability of you getting seriously ill from covid is low. However being obese has many many health implications and so dont give up. Incorporate exercise too as this keeps the weight off and makes you feel much better and motivated.

I was fine, I had a mild cough for a few days and my smell went for a week 👍.

I am obese too and also pregnant (BMI 40). I had covid for a week and am fine.
The statistics I saw a couple of days ago showed that of those over 80 years old who got covid about 4% die and if they are obese the percentage goes up to about 4.3% the numbers are tiny! This is amongst the very elderly - I was looking as an elderly relative had covid. She’s 90, overweight and has now fully recovered. She didn’t even get very ill.
Being obese makes the odds of dieing slightly higher ... but only slightly! You’d never believe that if you watch the news. The numbers who die are small compared to those who get it and are fine. Please don’t panic as fear lowers your resistance to fight these things.

I think the real enemy right now is fear.

Be sensible and yes we need to keep as fit as we can. But don’t put yourself in hospital by not eating. Your body needs a good diet to fight any infection. Have a balanced perspective and remember 80,000 people a year die of things like the flu and pneumonia. All those figures are also being classed as covid this year. The numbers are tiny.

Don’t take risks but also don’t succumb to fear.