In a recent Lancet respiratory medicine study, the most distinctive comorbidities of 32 non-survivors from a group of 52 intensive care unit patients with COVID-19 were cerebrovascular diseases and diabetes. As the novel coronovirus scare continues to grip the country, doctors warn that those with underlying conditions such as diabetes should be extra careful. Recently, Tom Hanks, too, tested positive for the novel coronavirus and it turns out that the 63-year-old actor's Type 2 diabetes could potentially have made contracting the virus even more serious.
Dr Altamash Shaikh, consultant endocrinologist, diabetologist and metabolic specialist at Masina hospital in Mumbai, said: “Their (people with diabetes) immunity is low and their chances of developing complications resulting from infections is very high.”
"Diabetes patients are at a higher risk to get COVID-19 infection. This is especially because diabetes per se reduces immunity and the complications resulting from a secondary bacterial infection increases since the glucose is uncontrolled. As per the studies I have seen from China and other parts of the world, the problem of COVID-19 is more in people suffering from diabetes, hypertension, cardiac disease, lung and kidney diseases and cancer," he said.
According to Dr Shaikh, the mortality rate is 7.5 in China for those suffering from diabetes. Dr Richa Chaturvedi, senior consultant and endocrinologist at Indraprastha Apollo hospitals in Delhi, concurs with Dr Shaikh even though she believes that as yet there is no evidence to suggest that people with diabetes are more susceptible to coronavirus "at least not as per the data emerging from the positive cases in India so far."
However, people with uncontrolled diabetes, especially with cardiac disease and hypertension are more susceptible to COVID-19 and their fatality rate is more. "Generally a person with uncontrolled diabetes in any case is more prone to infections, be it any infection for that matter. For such people it will be better if they really quarantine themselves so that they just don't expose themselves to infection in the first place. This is especially true for those above the age of 65."
Doctors believe that those suffering from Type 2 diabetes are the most prone to the COVID-19 virus. "Right now there is no data to suggest that those suffering from Type 1 diabetes are at a higher risk of contracting the virus," said Dr Shaikh.
According to experts, those suffering from diabetes should maintain social distancing and self-quarantine as far as possible. "They cannot take it easy in the present situation. They must hydrate themselves really well because dehydration itself may be a risk factor. Continuous monitoring of blood glucose levels at home will be helpful," said Dr Shaikh.
It is essentially all about your immunity, explains Dr Jagannath Dixit, a professor from Pune. "If it is low at the time of your exposure to the virus, you will get it no matter what."