WASHINGTON — Each week we learn more about how COVID-19 affects patients. The symptoms and effects vary from person to person based on many different factors.
But if you’re in great shape does the virus not affect you?
The Facebook page "Body Builder’s Against Tipping" has raised a claim that people in shape won’t get sick from COVID-19. The poster said the virus won’t hurt anyone with less than 10% body fat.
The Question:
Does the coronavirus not affect people with less than 10% body fat?
Our Sources:
Christopher Sulmonte from Johns Hopkins University Bio Containment lab and Infectious Disease Specialist Dr. Linda Nabha.
“The short answer is no. The data tells us that obesity, having a BMI greater than 30, puts individuals at risk for complications for COVID-19. However, the opposite isn't true, having a lower BMI, or less body fat doesn't stop someone from catching the infection," Dr. Nabha said.
“To say that COVID-19 doesn’t affect anyone under 10% body fat is false. There have been multiple cases noted publicly of healthy individuals who contracted the disease and were hospitalized," Sulmonte said.
Answer:
False. The claim that coronavirus does not affect people with less than 10% of body fat is not true.
In fact, WUSA9 spoke with a bodybuilder who got COVID-19. Ahmad Ayyad was a pillar of fitness before he got coronavirus.
“What's the chances of me getting it? I normally don't get sick,’” Ayyad said.
But, after he got the coronavirus, Ayyad was put on a ventilator and then fell into a coma.
"Next thing you know… I wake up… I got the tube down my throat. I got the oxygen mask, and I don't know what's going on,” he said.
Further proof, just because a person is in shape, doesn’t mean the virus won’t affect them.