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Objective: To identify and describe the mechanisms of lifestyle characteristics-obesity, DM, hypertension and physical inactivity-that may lead to the severity of illness among individuals with COVID-19.

Data Source: A scoping review was conducted by searching electronic databases of PubMed and Scopus from December 2019 to August 2020.

Inclusion/Exclusion Criteria: inclusion criteria were studies that explicitly describe the mechanism of COVID-19 in relationship with either hypertension, type 2 diabetes mellitus type 2 (DM), obesity and/or physical inactivity. Studies of epidemiological background, descriptive surveys and interventional studies were excluded.

Data Extraction: study characteristics were tabulated according to purpose, type of non-communicable diseases (NCDs), the hypothesis on the mechanism of infestation (MOI) and conclusion.

Data Synthesis: NCDs were categorized according to type and hypothesis on mechanisms of infestation. The interplay between COVID-19, type of NCDs and MOI leading to the severity of the disease was appraised.

Results: Twenty-four (24) studies were identified from 357 unique records. Eight studies postulated the mechanism of infestation and interaction between COVID 19 illness severity and Obesity, while 7 studies described COVID-19 and DM. Five studies highlighted the interaction between COVID-19 and hypertension with 4 studies showing how physical activity restriction suppresses immunity.

Conclusion: The current review, identified and explicitly described the mechanisms of the lifestyle characteristics that may increase the severity of illness among people with COVID-19.

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