A: Hey there! Did you catch the news about the COVID-19 study?
B: No, what's up?

A: Well, a Japanese group found out something interesting about underweight people and COVID-19. They looked at more than 46,000 patients who got sick from 2020 to 2022.

B: Oh, that sounds serious! What did they find?

A: So, it turns out that underweight people are more likely to have severe COVID-19 symptoms or even die than those with a normal weight. The study showed that underweight patients were 1.74 times more likely to need help like ventilators and 1.89 times more likely to pass away when only looking at death risk.

B: Whoa, that's scary! Did they find any differences by age?

A: Yes, it was especially risky for underweight people between 20 and 64. They were 2.37 times more likely to get really sick and 5.75 times more likely to die compared to those with a normal weight.

B: Wow, I had no idea! What did the leader of the study suggest?

A: She said many studies have focused on obese people, but not much on underweight individuals. She encouraged underweight people to be extra careful with anti-infection measures like masks and handwashing.

B: Makes sense. And she also wants medical professionals to remember that underweight people can also suffer severe symptoms, right?

A: Exactly! So let's all keep each other safe out there, friend.