If you have been living on planet earth for the past 6 months, you are probably an expert in all things COVID-19. You have to be - it's probably the only thing on social media and YouTube these days! And every other person is some kind of a prophet or a guru.
I have some friends who are in the thick of things in hospitals all over the world. They work with patients all day long, and they should have a pretty good idea of what is true and what is merely pulled out of thin air and spread as gospel. I prefer to touch base with them from time to time and verify that what I believe is still valid.
But that's not what this post is about.
You see, I have gotten onto my bathroom scale for the first time in a year. Numbers don't lie, they say, but these ones told a harsh truth. I have really let myself go over the past two years. In fact, I weigh only a little less than the first time that I found myself at this particular crossroads in my life. I didn't like it then and I sure as Hades don't like it now.
That was the first blow.
And THEN I read this:
"Older age and conditions such as heart disease, high blood pressure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, diabetes, and obesity are reported risk factors for the development and progression of COVID-19." (My own emphasis)
Reynold A. Panettieri Jr, Study Co-Author, Pulmonary Critical Care Physician and Director, Translational Medicine and Science, Rutgers University
Panettieri's paper was published in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology.
So, in short, this peer-reviewed clinical study came to one conclusion: the COVID-19 virus targets fat people!
Everything that came before obesity in that underlined bit, is primarily a result of being grossly overweight, as are some forms of cancer, another co-morbidity factor.
So...
While this actually explains the high death rate in the USA, it also means that yours charmingly has to take serious stock of her current condition and actually DO something about it. After all, I am in my 40's already, so maybe that makes me "older" as well...
That will happen.
Watch this space!!!