Weighing Up Learning To Live With Covid

In 2020, the pandemic spread around the world and unfortunately it looks like 2021 won't see the end of Covid, even if vaccination numbers go up.

As countries around the world begin to relax social restrictions, we see that full social freedoms also allow the virus to fully replicate and circulate, especially among those who have not yet been vaccinated or contracted the virus to have.

The current Delta strain carries a viral load 1000 times higher than the previous version, making human-to-human transmission much more likely.

Strategies for controlling the spread

Strategies have evolved to control the spread of Covid, with governments accepting medical advice from experts that this new virus (and its variants) will indeed exist for a long time. and that we need to learn to live with Covid with as many safeguards as possible to reduce serious illness and death.

While lockdowns will become less and less frequent, action will need to be taken if infections increase while there are still many unvaccinated people.

While the number of unvaccinated people remains high, we must take steps to keep our hospitals and other social services functioning until the number of infected and / or vaccinated people in the community hits 95%.

In addition to taking steps to reduce your risk of infection and getting vaccinated, there are other things you can do to keep yourself fit in case you become infected with the virus.

What you can do to protect yourself and others

We can all do things to keep ourselves and our loved ones safe from Covid and its effects, including helping with the frustrations of lockdown.

Make sure you get vaccinated and have open conversations with friends and family to do the same.

Avoid talking about the misinformation that is so prevalent these days, but instead focus on the positive things that people can do to help themselves and others in the community.

Obesity and Covid-19

Overweight adults are at greater risk during this pandemic. The Center for Disease Control & Prevention reports that in the United States, over 30 percent of adult hospital admissions for Covid are due to obesity.

And another study of children under 18 who became infected with Covid found that obese children are 3.07 times more likely to be hospitalized and have a 1.42 higher risk of serious illness.

But why do being overweight or obese make someone more vulnerable?

Associate Professor Michael Talbot, a bariatric surgeon in Sydney and New South Wales, explains why to us:

• Increased adipose tissue (the main function of adipose tissue is to store energy in the form of lipids, i.e. fat) increases the amount of angiotensin converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) your body produces. It is to this enzyme that the COVID-19 virus binds when it enters a human cell and this can increase the severity of the disease by making it easier for Covid to multiply in the cell, but also by blocking the ability of the ACE2 receptor to To do its job, to help suppress excessive inflammation.
• People who are overweight or who live with obesity are at increased risk of many serious diseases and health conditions compared to people of healthy weight. You are more likely to have diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, respiratory disease (sleep apnea, asthma, reflux-related lung disease), kidney disease, and other conditions that increase your risk of developing serious illness from COVID-19.
• People with weight problems are more difficult to care for in the intensive care unit and more prone to complications when they are on a ventilator for long periods of time.

"Lockdown Weight"

Photo credit: Unsplash

In times of "lockdowns" or significant changes in our daily lives, it is understandable that we may not feel motivated to exercise regularly, find comfort at home in snacks such as chocolate or chips, or decide to have something to take away order because we avoid the supermarket or simply don't have time to cook (homeschooling and working from home is a real challenge). As a result, more people than ever will be increasingly at risk.

Living with Covid for the long term may mean living in certain environments with a new normal of social restrictions, vaccination boosters and masks, but another way to protect ourselves from this virus in the future is to be as healthy as possible.

If you are overweight, you will likely be able to lose excess weight based on diet changes and increased activity levels, e.g. B. through regular exercise and your 10,000 steps per day.

Unfortunately, obesity is a complex issue and therefore requires that it be approached from many different angles. physiologically, physically and psychologically.

Fighting Obesity – Weight Loss Surgery

Weight loss surgery is the last resort for weight loss, but it is more effective. Depending on the procedure your bariatric surgeon recommends, a person can lose about a third, and sometimes more, of their total weight (so someone weighing 120 kg can expect to lose about 40 kg in the end).

There are several options that you can discuss with your surgeon, from a gastric band that can be easily adjusted by a doctor, to procedures that limit the size of the stomach, and even those that bypass parts of the intestine.

Their common goal is to limit the amount of food a person can ingest, resulting in a reduction in calorie consumption, resulting in rapid weight loss.

Sounds easy, why doesn't everyone do it?

Well, it's not that simple. Bariatric surgery is an elective surgery and is very rarely offered in public hospitals, although it is covered by Medicare.

It requires expenses (amounts vary depending on private health insurance). But even if that is not a problem, for the long-term success of the operation it is up to the individual to commit to life-long changes: their diet, breaking old habits, introducing regular exercise and activity, and building a new healthy life.

So, as we look forward to the easing of the restrictions, the opening of the borders and the beginning of our new normal here in Australia, all things that are out of our control, it may be time we decided to do it our health is in our hands, and we want to make sure we are taking the steps to protect our future selves as best we can.

About the author:

Associate Professor Michael Talbot is a bariatric surgeon practicing in Sydney, Australia. He is committed to the ongoing education of the obesity epidemic that is gripping western nations around the world.