COVID-19 Increases Diabetes Risk, New Study Finds

Covid-19, an infectious disease caused by a new coronavirus, has swept the world in 2020. It spreads when a person comes into contact with someone who already has the virus. Most people recover completely, but some complications may develop later. Scientists have long hinted at a link between Covid-19 and diabetes. Now, a new study has found an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes after being diagnosed with Covid-19. It was found to be higher in people who had been hospitalized with the coronavirus than in those who had not. The researchers also noted that the risk was noticeably less pronounced in people who had been vaccinated against Covid-19.

Study Links COVID-19 to Diabetes

The study, which involved 16 million people aged 18 to 110, was conducted after COVID-19 diagnosis in England. It included data from before vaccination, as well as those who had and had not been vaccinated. It found that people who had Covid-19 before vaccines were available had a four-fold higher incidence of type 2 diabetes in the first four weeks after being diagnosed with Covid-19 than before or in the absence of coronavirus.

The study was published in The Lancet Diabetes and Endocrinology in July 2024, showed that the incidence of type 2 diabetes remained high (64 percent) during the second year after diagnosis. It was twice as high in people hospitalized with CovidD-19. But the incidence of type 2 diabetes after Covid-19 was reduced in vaccinated people compared with unvaccinated people. The incidence of type 1 diabetes was also high, but only during the first year after Covid-19 diagnosis. As for the incidence of gestational diabetes, it did not seem to increase after coronavirus diagnosis.

COVID-19 vaccine

In 2021, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration gave the green light to the first COVID-19 vaccine, known as the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine. The virus continues to spread, but safe and effective vaccines can help ensure that Covid-19 does not lead to severe illness or death. COVID-19 vaccinations saved the lives of about 14.4 million people worldwide in 2021, according to World Health Organization.

Vaccination against coronavirus also reduces the likelihood of new cases of the disease Covid variants from the appearance. A single dose regimen is recommended WHO for primary immunization for most Covid-19 vaccines to provide adequate protection. A person can still get Covid-19 after vaccination, but the symptoms will either be mild or they will not notice any signs. Symptoms such as fever, chills and sore throat usually begin to appear 5-6 days after exposure.

Read also

What is diabetes?

Diabetes is a chronic disease characterized by high levels of glucose, or sugar, in the blood. It can damage the kidneys, heart, blood vessels and eyes. According to the UK, there are two main types of diabetes National Health Service.

• Type 1 diabetes is a lifelong disease in which a person's immune system attacks and then kills the cells responsible for producing insulin.
• diabetes type 2 This is a condition in which the body cannot produce enough insulin or the cells stop responding to insulin properly.

Gestational diabetes This is another type of diabetes that develops during pregnancy. It is when a woman has high blood sugar levels and usually goes away after she gives birth, according to NHS.

How to protect yourself from Covid-19?

Even though COVID-9 is no longer a public health emergency, you should still follow the guidelines World Health Organization –

• Get vaccinated.
• Maintain physical distance of at least one meter from other people. Therefore, avoid crowds and close contact with anyone, even if they do not appear sick.
• Wear a mask that covers your face well if you cannot maintain physical distancing.
• Wash your hands with soap and water or use hand sanitizer.
• When sneezing or coughing, cover your nose and mouth with a tissue, then throw away the used tissue immediately.