Study finds new factors linked to increased risk of Covid-19 infection

As Covid-19 runs rampant across the world, a team of researchers has found associations between certain lifestyle factors and a person's risk of getting infected. While it has already been established that those with Type II diabetes and a high body mass index (BMI) are at greater risk of experiencing hospitalizations and other severe complications related to Covid-19, they are also at greater risk of getting the symptomatic infection in the first place. This is the finding of a recent study conducted by researchers at the University of Maryland School of Medicine that was published today in the journal PLoS ONE. Using data from the UK Biobank of 500,000 British volunteers over age 40, the researchers examined health factors in those who tested positive for Covid-19 and compared them to those who tested negative.