LAUSR

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, caused by a single-stranded RNA virus, has demonstrated considerable variations in rate and mortality globally. These variations have been explained by several factors, including age, data accuracy, and obesity. The mechanisms by which obesity increases the rate/mortality of COVID-19 need to be comprehensively understood. Possible mechanisms include associated comorbidities and enhanced virus entry through the human angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2). ACE2 is the putative receptor for coronavirus entry into host cells. In adipose tissues, ACE2 expression levels exceed those expressed in the lung. Individuals with obesity present an increased volume of adipose tissues, and consequently higher ACE2 levels, which could increase their susceptibility to COVID-19. Researchers are still exploring other possible explanations. Viruses largely rely on the host cell translation machinery, exploiting the translational apparatus of the infected cell to express viral proteins. Certain pathways/molecules, hyperactivated in obese hosts and shared with those in coronaviruses, could further rationalize the association of obesity with COVID-19.