Coronavirus Update: Doctors Figuring Out Link Between COVID-19 And Diabetes

The coronavirus is still in the air and there are people who have unfortunately had to deal with it. Though some have recovered, the sensitive part is monitoring themselves on repercussion tied to the dreaded virus. One of the possible illnesses that doctors are trying to figure out right now is the relation of COVID-19 to diabetes.

Most may have heard that people dealing with diabetes have a higher risk of contracting a disease. But the case of a man over in Arizona has raised questions on whether people who have tested positive for COVID-19 can eventually be at risk of getting diabetes.

In a report from Reuters, a 28-year-old father named Mario Buelna dealt with fever and began to have trouble breathing. He eventually tested positive for COVID-19 but recovered.

But a week after, Buelna felt weak, started vomiting and passed out at his home. He was rushed to the hospital and placed in intensive care after saving him from a coma. The diagnosis came a bit of a surprise when physicians found that he had type 1 diabetes – something he had no history off. Buelna believes it was COVID that triggered the illness.

Nearly 40 percent of people who have died with COVID-19 had diabetes. With the recent claims tied to Buelna, doctors are now trying to probe the connection of diabetes to the virus.

“COVID could be causing diabetes from scratch,” said Dr. Francesco Rubino, a diabetes researcher and chair of metabolic and bariatric surgery at King’s College London. “These cases are coming from every corner of the world and every continent.”

For those who may not be aware of it, type 1 diabetes occurs when the body’s immune system mistakenly destroys insulin-producing cells in the pancreas, preventing the regulation of blood sugar levels. People who may have type 1 diabetes have initial symptoms that may include extreme thirst, fatigue, frequent urination and weight loss.

Also, it would be best to note that researchers from the Imperial College in London as well as some hospitals found that cases of type 1 diabetes among children nearly doubled from late March to early June. This was about the time when the pandemic was spiking compared to the same period as last year.

For now, it remains to be seen if doctors can establish a link between COVID-19 and diabetes. The best way to avoid it right now is to practice the usual standards of distancing, wearing proper protective gear and staying at home if there is no need to go outdoors.