Abstract While all groups are affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, the elderly, underrepresented minorities, and those with underlying medical conditions are at the greatest risk. The high rate of consumption of diets high in saturated fats, sugars, and refined carbohydrates (collectively called Western diet, WD) worldwide, contribute to the prevalence of obesity and type II diabetes, and could place these populations at an increased risk for severe COVID-19 pathology and mortality. WD consumption activates the innate immune system and impairs adaptive immunity, leading to chronic inflammation and impaired host defense against viruses. Furthermore, peripheral inflammation caused by COVID-19 may have long-term consequences in those that recover, leading to chronic medical conditions such as dementia and neurodegenerative disease, likely through neuroinflammatory mechanisms that can be compounded by an unhealthy diet. Thus, now more than ever, wider access to healthy foods should be a top priority and individuals should be mindful of healthy eating habits to reduce susceptibility to and long-term complications from COVID-19.

中文翻译：

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营养对 COVID-19 易感性和长期后果的影响

摘要 虽然所有群体都受到 COVID-19 大流行的影响，但老年人、代表性不足的少数民族和有基础疾病的人面临的风险最大。世界范围内高饱和脂肪、糖和精制碳水化合物（统称为西方饮食，WD）的饮食的高消费率导致肥胖和 II 型糖尿病的流行，并可能使这些人群患上严重的 COVID 的风险增加-19 病理和死亡率。WD 消耗会激活先天免疫系统并损害适应性免疫，导致慢性炎症和宿主对病毒的防御能力受损。此外，由 COVID-19 引起的外周炎症可能会对康复者产生长期后果，导致痴呆和神经退行性疾病等慢性疾病，可能是通过神经炎症机制，不健康的饮食会加剧这种机制。因此，现在比以往任何时候都更应优先考虑更广泛地获得健康食品，个人应注意健康的饮食习惯，以减少对 COVID-19 的易感性和长期并发症。