Diabetic Patients May Be at Higher Risk for Complications from COVID

Both the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and the World Health Organization have identified people living with diabetes at increased risk of complications from coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 infection, also known as COVID-19.Type 2 diabetes does not cause an elevated risk of infection per se but a greater risk of complications and mortality that arise from COVID-19 infection. Cardiovascular disease, neuropathy, and organ dysfunction, including kidney and eye, all are common issues associated with Type 2 diabetes, and have been seen to be further exacerbated by COVID-19 infection. While doctors still do not have enough evidence to explain all of the ways the virus affects the body, reports from all over the world have identified connections between inflammation and blood coagulation abnormalities and dangerous outcomes from the virus. However, what many have not discussed is the possibility that quarantines, stay-at-home orders and remote working — necessary to prevent the spreading of the virus — may also present additional risk for those who already experience a sedentary lifestyle. A study by the National Institutes of Health shows that people who spend significant amounts of time not being active are subject to a 112 percent greater risk of potential complications, including Type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome Coronavirus, and therefore, presents not only risks to those with Type 2 diabetes, but to those already at risk for Type 2 diabetes.