Comparison of thorax computed tomography based body composition parameters between COVID-19 positive and negative patients: A cross-sectional study

Objective: To compare body fat-muscle and visceral obesity indices that can be measured with thorax computed tomography (CT) between reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) positive and negative patients. Material and Methods: This ret-rospective, comparative study included 141 PCR (+) and 150 PCR (-) patients who applied to our hospital with flu-like symptoms without having the comorbid diseases and undergone thoracic CT between April 1, 2020-July 1, 2020. For the each patient, the ratio of thoracic subcutaneous adipose tissue thickness to pectoralis major muscle thickness (TSAT/PMJ), epicardial adipose tissue thickness (EAT), liver density (LD), abdominal subcutaneous adipose tissue thickness to psoas major muscle thickness ratio (ASAT/ PSM), subcutaneous abdominal adipose tissue thickness to erector spinae muscle thickness ratio (ASAT/ESM) was measured. The comparison was made between the subgroups in terms of age, gender, and measured parameters. Results: Statistically significant difference was found between PCR (+) and (-) individuals in terms of EAT mean (p<0.05). TSAT/PMJ, ASAT/PSM and ASAT/ESM ratios were higher in women (p <0.05). The mean EAT in men was increased in the PCR (+) group (p<0.05). In PCR (+) group, LD decreased, EAT increased with increasing age (p[removed]0.05) in terms of TSAT/PMJ, ASAT/PSM, LD, ASAT/ESM. Conclusion: Higher EAT values can increase the risk of getting coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) infection. Peripheral fat-muscle indices don’t increase the risk of contracting COVID-19 infection.