"The observations of this study can possibly be explained by the underlying mechanisms at work in patients who have obesity, such as hyper-inflammation, immune dysfunction, and comorbidities," said Bartolome Burguera, M D, Ph D, chair of Cleveland Clinic's Endocrinology & Metabolism Institute and co-investigator of the study. "Those conditions can lead to poor outcomes in the acute phase of COVID-19 in patients with obesity and could possibly lead to an increased risk of long-term complications of COVID-19 in this patient population."