While SARS-CoV-2 is a rampant virus that can cause severe problems in vulnerable individuals, the real pandemic—the underlying cause that makes people susceptible to complications from the infection in the first place—is poor metabolic health.
Metabolism is the sum total of all the chemical reactions the body uses to maintain a living state. It has two major types: when our body breaks down molecules in the food we eat to provide cells with energy, and when our body synthesizes all the compounds needed by our cells.