NEW YORK In the early days of the pandemic, doctors noticed something about the people severely ill from COVID-19: Many were obese. But there's some evidence that obesity itself can increase the likelihood of serious complications from a coronavirus infection. The increased risk for serious COVID-19 illness appears more pronounced with extreme obesity, or a BMI of 40 or higher. One study found an increased risk for death from COVID-19 for people with severe obesity, but only among men. They need a machine to help just do the work, said Dr. David Kass of Baltimore's Johns Hopkins University, who has co-authored a study on obesity and severe COVID-19 illness.