Jatin Sharma - Infectious Disease Department Senior Editor
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-021-94138-z#Sec7
The article, “Long-term effects of malnutrition on severity of COVID-19” by Alec Kurtz et al. outlines how malnutrition has been found to increase the severity of COVID-19. In fact, for people between the ages of 10 to 40, malnutrition was found to almost double the probability of having severe COVID-19. A person with “severe” COVID-19 was defined as someone who was on a mechanical ventilator, died due to COVID-19, or had other extreme symptoms such as respiratory failure or disorders in the nervous system. Malnutrition results in dampening of the immune system due to a lack of the essential nutrients necessary for normal function. It also results in the reduced production of cytokines, which are molecules necessary to mount a strong response against infectious diseases.
Close to half of all childhood deaths in the world are due to malnutrition and often result from various social issues including unequal access to resources and income disparities. Because malnutrition has been shown to have a large impact on the severity of COVID-19 and other infectious diseases, creating sustainable food systems in areas of need is even more important. Ensuring people have healthy and diverse diets is key to fighting malnutrition, which helps to fight against the severity of infectious diseases. The relationship between malnutrition and pandemics like COVID-19 is one of reciprocal causation, as malnutrition increases the severity of infection while a pandemic can also worsen malnutrition through loss of appetite, income loss, and diminished access to adequate resources. Making nutrient rich food more accessible and removing income and resource disparities are pivotal in maintaining a healthier population.
References
Kurtz, A., Grant, K., Marano, R., Arrieta, A., Grant, K., Feaster, W., Steele, C., & Ehwerhemuepha, L. (2021). Long-term effects of malnutrition on severity of COVID-19. Scientific Reports, 11(1). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-94138-z
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