HJNO Jul/Aug 2020

HEALTHCARE JOURNAL OF NEW ORLEANS I  JUL / AUG 2020 65 For weekly eNews updates and to read the journal online, visit HealthcareJournalNO.com high-trafficked buildings. “Universities are enormously complicated orga- nizations. We are working with Ochsner Health to assess campus logistics, including how we create less density to protect all members of our school community, especially those most vulnerable to the virus,” said Tania Tetlow, JD, president, Loyola University New Orleans. “This is a moment to be really nimble and flexible. The more we can com- municate what our safety plans are to our stu- dents and their families, the more they trust that we understand the risks and are taking it seriously by implementing Ochsner’s recommended safety measures.” Tulane Physicians: Obesity a Risk Factor for Most Severe COVID-19 Symptoms As businesses and churches begin reopen- ing during the COVID-19 pandemic, leaders urge those who are at risk for developing severe symptoms to stay home if possible and take extra precautions to avoid potential exposure. That group is usually defined as those aged 65 or more, and those with compromised immune systems. But there is increasing evidence of another group of people at risk for severe symptoms – those with the disease of obesity. “Obesity doesn’t put a person at risk for catch- ing COVID-19,” said Dr. Carlos Galvani, a bariat- ric surgeon with the Tulane Bariatric Center. “But once infected, a person with obesity does have a higher risk of more serious complications. That population – people with a body mass index of 30 or more – should be taking the same precautions as someone over 65, regardless of their age.” That is also the advice from the Northwell Health COVID-19 Research Consortium in New York, published in late April in the peer-reviewed Journal of the American Medical Association. The data there described the clinical course and out- comes of 5,700 Northwell Health System patients hospitalized with COVID-19 — the largest hospi- talized patient cohort to date in the United States — between March 1 and April 4. “The study shows that 95 percent of patients under 65 who died from complications of COVID- 19 were overweight or obese, and most had comorbidities like hypertension or diabetes,” Gal- vani said. “Also according to the study, patients with diabetes – which can be the result of obe- sity – were more likely to have received invasive mechanical ventilation, received treatment in the ICU or developed acute kidney disease. “We are always thinking that the typical person with COVID-19 is of advanced age, but increas- ingly, younger patients under 40 with comorbid conditions are being affected by this disease,” he said. “A 40-year-old person with obesity should be considered a vulnerable population. Today more than ever, it’s important to remain vigilant with this at-risk population to reduce the prevalence of severe COVID disease.” n “Study shows that 95 percent of patients under 65 who died from complications of COVID-19 were overweight or obese, and most had comorbidities like hypertension or diabetes.”