Potential Hypothesis
Body mass index directly correlates with human survival in infectious and chronic diseases, including infection with a new coronavirus type. The higher the index, there are more chances of getting cardiovascular pathologies or type 2 diabetes. As a result, obese people will be less tolerant of COVID-19, as confirmed by the current statistics (University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 2020). Even though there is no direct proven link between obesity and COVID, the disease’s course will be more severe in patients with such a pathology, scientists say. Being overweight could be an additional risk factor in the current pandemic.
Experimental Methods
In the article, approximately 1,700 studies were analyzed; a part of them was used in the review. The value of these materials lies in the fact that they have been systematized between January and June 2020 (Popkin et al., 2020). Such data lend to processing by methods of statistics and probability theory. Moreover, the sampling method was used to obtain the necessary reliable information with significant savings in funds and costs. The guarantee of representativeness is ensured by using scientifically sound methods for selecting the units to be surveyed. A meta-analysis was performed, indicating that the sample was more diverse than expected based on its variety. The process can explain the difference between data and works in an over-information environment (Cooper et al., 2019). There has been a massive release of information into the scientific community since the outbreak of the pandemic.
Conclusion
Overweight people carry the coronavirus in a more severe form, and they develop it more often than others. Obesity, according to the study, increases the activity of the ACE2 gene, and it produces receptors through which SARS-CoV-2 enters the lungs (Popkin et al., 2020). It explains the reasons for why obesity increases the risk of severe coronavirus. Infection and obesity have common developmental pathways associated with the regulation of lipid metabolism (University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 2020). Scientists believe that it seems the coronavirus disease can develop in people who have diabetes and high cholesterol levels (Popkin et al., 2020). Correct adherence to the meta-analysis methodology will provide information from the research team that cannot be collected by performing a traditional descriptive literature review (Cooper et al., 2019). Despite the vast amount of computer programs created to automate meta-analysis, the research results’ reliability depends entirely on analysts.
Reference List
Cooper, H. Hedges, L. V. and Valentine, J. C. (eds.). (2019) The handbook of research synthesis and meta-analysis. New York, NY: Russell Sage Foundation.
Popkin, B. M. Du, S. Green, W. D. Beck, M. A. Algaith, T. Herbst, C. H. and Shekar, M. (2020) ‘Individuals with obesity and COVID‐19: a global perspective on the epidemiology and biological relationships’, Obesity Reviews, pp. 1-17.
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. (2020) ‘Obesity linked with higher risk for COVID-19 complications: study raises concern that COVID-19 vaccine will be less effective for those with obesity’, ScienceDaily.