[EXCESS WEIGHT AND SOCIODEMOGRAPHIC RISK FACTORS FOR SARS-COV-2 INFECTION IN ISRAEL]

Studies to date have demonstrated an increased prevalence of obesity and low socioeconomic status (SES( among people with confirmed cases of COVID-19, and low SES has been linked to obesity.

Our goal was to better understand the important relationship between body weight and sociodemographic variables affecting the COVID-19 burden.

We conducted a cross-sectional study of subjects presenting to Israel's largest emergency department and their odds for positive SARS-CoV-2 virus PCR testing during the first wave of the pandemic.

We found that as BMI rises, as compared to normal weight, it is associated with increasing odds for testing positive, independently of age, gender, SES and population density (BMI 25-29.9 kg/m2: OR = 1.42, 95% CI 1.07 - 1.90; BMI 30-34.9 kg/m2: OR = 1.50, 95% CI 1.06 - 2.11; BMI ≥ 35 kg/m2: OR = 1.61, 95% CI 1.02 - 2.46). Furthermore, male gender, low SES and high population density are also associated with excess risk for positive test results independently of body weight.

Understanding these risk factors for infection and how they might interplay can help the medical community develop approaches to protect at-risk groups from infection and severe disease secondary to seasonal and pandemic viral infections.