PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — As the pandemic continues to dominate many aspects of our lives, people are looking for the best options to mitigate the risk factors that put them at risk of hospitalization or death from COVID.

While obesity is one of the greatest risk factors for a serious COVID infection, a recent study in JAMA found that “in patients with obesity, substantial weight loss achieved through metabolic surgery was associated with improved outcomes of COVID-19 infection.”

Dr. Emma Patterson, a bariatric surgeon from Oregon Weight Loss Surgery in Portland, joined AM Extra on Monday to explain.