Overweight Aussies need to axe their fat and lose weight now to slash their chances of ending up in hospital with Covid, one of the nation’s top docs has warned.
Dr Nick Coatsworth, Australia’s former deputy chief medical officer, says Australians with a body mass index over 30 are among those most in danger from the disease.
And he warns that unless they go on a diet to slim down, tubby Aussies could suffer severe consequences if they catch Covid.
‘If you are carrying more weight, the most important thing you can do is shift your diet to lose a couple of kilos,’ he told Nine’s Today show on Tuesday.
Aussies who were fit and healthy didn’t need to make lifestyle changes to improve their immunity to Covid
Dr Nick Coatsworth (pictured), Australia’s former deputy chief medical officer, says Australians with a body mass index over 30 are among those most in danger from the disease
‘Work out your body mass index because if that’s over 30, you are at increased risk of severe complications from COVID 19.
‘You’re the sort of person that needs to be boosted.’
He said slimmer Aussies who were fit and healthy didn’t need to make lifestyle changes to improve their immunity to Covid.
‘If you’re young, fit, healthy and you’re not overweight, just keep doing what you’re doing,’ he said.
Overweight Aussies (pictured) need to axe their fat and lose weight now to slash their chances of ending up in hospital with Covid, one of the nation’s top docs has warned
‘There’s no need to change anything and no amount of vitamin C or healthy diet over and above that is going to help.’
But he said those carrying extra kilos needed to act swiftly.
‘That’s the sort of member of our community that would benefit from those healthy lifestyle changes,’ he said.
‘The most the most important thing of course for protection is vaccination. If you’re vaccinated, that’s when you’re not going to get Covid.’
Dr Nick Coatsworth warns that unless they go on a diet to slim down, tubby Aussies (pictured) could suffer serious consequences if they catch Covid
Dr Coatsworth said the current Omicron outbreak meant many should delay their booster jabs if they catch Covid before their third vaccination dose (pictured)
Dr Coatsworth said the current Omicron outbreak meant many should delay their booster jabs if they catch Covid before their third vaccination dose.
The body’s immunity system will receive a natural boost from catching the disease following recovery, meaning a booster could be safely delayed in those cases.
Booster take-up in NSW and Victoria has fallen behind schedule and experts suspect it is because of the large numbers of Covid cases, delaying the booster rollout, with many unsure when they should get the third jab after getting infected.
‘I don’t even think ATAGI has got solid advice on this,’ Dr Coatsworth admitted. ‘You will get immunity for a period after acquiring COVID 19 infection.
Booster take-up in NSW and Victoria has fallen behind schedule and experts suspect it is because of the large numbers of Covid cases, delaying the booster rollout, with many unsure when they should get the third jab after getting infected (pictured, a woman is vaccinated in Melbourne)
‘So you certainly don’t need your booster straightaway. I don’t think there’s any any harm in getting it in about four to five weeks afterwards.
‘But I think the current recommendation is is somewhere in the order of three to six months. You don’t need to be rushing to get your booster after that Covid infection.’
Dr Coatsworth spoke out after NSW reported another 12,000-plus cases and 30 deaths while Victoria recorded 11,000 plus new cases and 34 deaths.
Australia has now had more than two million new cases since Christmas as the highly virulent Omicron strain sweeps through the nation after Covid restrictions were relaxed nationwide.
With millions now recovered from the disease, Dr Coatsworth admitted medical opinion was still divided on the chances of getting re-infected.
With millions now recovered from the disease, Dr Nick Coatsworth admitted medical opinion was still divided on the chances of getting re-infected (pictured, a woman getting vaccinated in Sydney)
The combination of the widespread Omicron outbreak and mass vaccination and booster program means Dr Coatsworth believes Australia will be better protected by winter (pictured a vaccination clinic in Sydney)
‘I’m not sure sciences got the perfect answer for that,’ he said.
‘We know that coronaviruses have circulated before COVID-19 and most respiratory viruses you can get again at some point down the track.
‘But the good news for Australia is we’ll have this Omicron wave. We’ll all get a boost to our immunity from our booster vaccination and many of us will get on Omicron infection.
‘That that sort of hybrid immunity will protect us I think from from an otherwise potentially nasty winter. So I think overall we’re in a good position.’
Source: | This article originally belongs to Dailymail.co.uk