Covid-19 and Diabetes: Threats and Treatments 

With the rising concerns regarding Covid-19 it is important to keep diabetes in check because a spike in blood sugar levels can increase complications.

 Dr. Ambrish Mithal (Chairman & Head of Endocrinology & Diabetes Division, Medanta, Gurugram) takes the example of a paper published on Covid-19 study at Max Healthcare examined 400 patients and the impact of diabetes on their health. The test revealed:-

•  37% of people were already diabetic which despite the population prevalence is a high number
• Around 8-9% of people found out for the first time that they are diabetic during screening for Covid-19
•  Another 5% of people had neither had diabetes nor a high average for the last three months, but the Covid-19 virus spiked their blood sugar levels

Considering the aforementioned, more than 50% of the patients who are admitted to the hospital for Covid-19 have some or the other sugar problem. In these patients the management of sugar is crucial. If it is neglected amongst other concerns of Covid-19 the outcome can be severe.

Well-controlled diabetic patients whose HbA1c – which is the three months’ average of your blood sugar – is balanced, need not fear as they can come out of the illness with ease. Contrarily, if HbA1c is high right from the beginning and such individuals contact Covid-19 the patient management can become challenging.

Covid-19 causes a rise in blood sugar, and when steroids are administered, the sugar soars. To prevent this, patients have to tell the doctors about their condition as the treatments are not happening in hospitals but at home. Diabetic patients have to practice checking their sugar and learn how to administer the insulin if needed.

Dr. Ambrish reveals that imbalanced sugar alone does not inflate the problem. If the multivariate analysis reveals a combination of diseases such as diabetes, blood pressure concerns, and the beginnings of a kidney or a heart disease, then it can be dangerous.