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HIGH-RISK CONDITION: OBESITY WHAT THE NUMBERS SAY: Obese people diagnosed with COVID-19 are more than twice as likely to be hospitalized and about 50 percent more likely to die compared to

patients who are a healthy weight, according to a meta-analysis published in _Obesity Reviews_. (Obesity is defined as those with a body mass index, or BMI, of 30 or above.) IF YOU HAVE ONE

OF THESE CONDITIONS In addition to following your doctor's advice on managing your condition and taking standard COVID-19 precautions, doctors offer these tips for especially high-risk

patients: * Upgrade your mask. Some experts recommend doubling up or choosing an FDA-approved KN-95. * Consider investing in a pulse oximeter, a device that measures blood oxygen saturation.

A falling oxygen level can be an early sign that your health is deteriorating. * If you test positive for the coronavirus, ask your doctor if you're a good candidate for monoclonal

antibodies, a life-saving treatment that can cut hospitalizations among high-risk patients by as much as 70 percent. Some doctors say not enough people know about the treatment, which must

be given before a patient is hospitalized. While obesity is often linked to other health problems, doctors say they have been struck by how hard COVID-19 hits even those obese patients who

have no other underlying conditions. "I think the one [health condition] that has really stuck out is obesity,” said Jakob McSparron, M.D., a critical care doctor at Michigan Medicine

in Ann Arbor, Mich. “In particular, it seems as though obesity among younger patients is a notable risk factor." WHY IT'S DANGEROUS WITH COVID-19: Obesity can make it harder for a

person's lungs to expand, impairing breathing and oxygenation. In addition, extra fat, especially around the belly, is linked to chronic inflammation that can weaken the immune

response. Obesity is also believed to increase your risk of blood clots. WHAT YOU CAN DO: Because your risk of complications from COVID-19 is directly correlated to your BMI, if you're

among the 42 percent of Americans who are obese, even a small amount of weight loss can make a difference, said cardiologist Dariush Mozaffarian, M.D., dean of Tufts Friedman School of

Nutrition Science and Policy. "It takes weeks, not years,” he said. “It's very well documented that even losing five pounds makes a difference in your metabolic health. With a few

small lifestyle changes — eat a little healthier, exercise a little more, get more sleep — you could very plausibly lower your risk of severe illness from COVID-19." HIGH-RISK

CONDITION: HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE WHAT THE NUMBERS SAY: When researchers analyzed 22 studies from eight countries last year, they found that high blood pressure was present in 42 percent of

hospitalized COVID-19 patients, making it the most prevalent health condition by far. Even more stunning: Those patients had twice the risk of death compared with patients without high blood

pressure, said Vikramaditya Samala Venkata, M.D., one of the study's authors and a hospital medicine physician at Cheshire Medical Center in Keene, N.H. The news isn't all bad,

however. The Clinical Infectious Diseases study on COVID-19 mortality found that hypertension on its own raised the death rate only for those under age 40, said study author Anthony Harris,

M.D., an epidemiologist at the University of Maryland. For those age 40 and older, mortality risk increased only if their high blood pressure had caused a complication such as heart damage

or chronic kidney disease.