This article contains:
COVID-19 and Diabetes
COVID-19 & Diabetes
Written By: Tawan Petpaiboon
COVID-19 is not only famous for its own symptoms, but it also associates with other diseases. Recently, there has been an investigation on the correlation of COVID-19 and diabetes.
The receptor that binds to the coronavirus is known for affecting the lungs. More to that, the receptor also exists in organs that associate with diabetes, disrupting the metabolism of glucose. Viral infections could also lead to inflammation in the body, and this makes the blood sugar level rise.
You may have heard that it is likely that people with diabetes have a higher risk of being infected with this coronavirus. However, this is a myth. It was observed that 22% of the COVID-19 deaths are diabetic patients. This is suggested to be because of the decreased efficiency of white blood cells. This makes the patients have greater severe symptoms when compared to non-diabetic patients. In other words, people with diabetes have “worse complications.” It is observed that COVID-19 patients lack more insulin than normal people.
The other effect resulting from diabetic patients infected by coronavirus is that the sugar level increases and becomes uncontrollable. In other words, people with diabetes tend to have more severe symptoms of COVID-19 than people without diabetes. For instance, to fight off the infection of the virus, the body lets out a high amount of glucose. Because the person has diabetes, this makes it harder for the person to maintain a moderate glucose level. Because of the symptoms of diabetes such as unregulated sugar level, this weakens the immune system of an individual as well.
Another example of the worse complications for diabetic patients include DKA (diabetic ketoacidosis). DKA occurs due to the high accumulation of ketones inside your body. The ketones come from the conversion of fats to these acidic substances. The body breaks down fat to convert it to glucose. However, because of the high rate of this reaction, ketone builds up, causing the blood to be acidic.
As seen here, there are a lot of associations between diabetes and COVID-19. Are there any preventions for diabetic patients though? Although there are many unclear things about this correlation, there is surely one thing that is certain. Yes, there are preventions, but they’re the same as anything a normal person would do. Therefore, whether you’re a diabetic patient or not, the important key idea is to always protect yourself from this pandemic, as well as prevent others from catching COVID-19 from us.
Comments