“We believe this was due mainly to higher levels of the protein ACE-2 (to which the virus binds to invade cells) on the cell surface.
“After that, other studies confirmed that adipocytes can indeed be infected, and when we analysed samples from patients who died of COVID-19, we found the presence of the virus in adipose tissue to be relatively frequent, corresponding to about 50 percent of cases.”
There is a significant amount of literature highlighting the dangers of visceral fat in metabolic disease, while subcutaneous fat is largely deemed neutral or even beneficial.
Researchers believe it helps the body by acting as a vital energy reserve during fasting and exercising.