EXPERTS REVEAL COVID IMPACT ON DIABETICS

Experts have spoken of the ‘severe impact’ that the Covid pandemic has had on people with diabetes.

Speaking out ahead of Diabetes Week 2021 (June 14-20), Claudia Le Feuvre, nutritional therapist and founder of Mighty Green, a London based brand specialising in CBD products, said people with diabetes are more likely to contract coronavirus.

“Data suggests Covid-19 is more common in people with diabetes and the severity of infection may be greater, although rates vary between various studies and the countries they are conducted in,” said Claudia (pictured left).

She added: “In a meta-analysis of eight studies examining 46,248 people with coronavirus, 8% of them had diabetes.

Other studies with lower sample sizes (355 people) found that 36% of people with the virus also had diabetes.

“There is also an opposite relationship between coronavirus and diabetes, where people have gone on to develop type 1 diabetes after having the virus”.

During the pandemic, The Olive Trust, Wales, a social enterprise that focuses on social inclusion, environmental concerns, and health and wellbeing, set up a Covid-19 response diabetes forum, providing resources and help for people.

Commenting on how Covid has impacted those with diabetes, Denise Kingsley-Jones (pictured below), founder and CEO of The Olive Trust, said: “There has been more attention on diabetics due to poor prognosis in those with Covid. Initial reports were on people with type 2 diabetes, although recent surveys have shown that individuals with type 1 diabetes are also at risk of severe Covid-19.

“A study describing diabetes nurses’ perspectives on the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic found that out of the 1,829 diabetic nurses surveyed, 76% felt the pandemic had ‘a lot’ of impact on the physical and psychological risks of people with diabetes.

“47% of respondents identified that the level of care provided to people with diabetes had declined either extremely or quite severely. Self-management support, diabetes education and psychological support were found to have declined severely during the pandemic.

“The findings concluded that diabetes nurses across Europe have seen significant increases in both physical and psychological problems in their patient populations during COVID-19.

When asked whether there is any correlation between Covid and diabetes, Denise, based in Llanelli, said: “Whilst there does not seem to be any known links between coronavirus and diabetes, you are categorised as a vulnerable group.

“It is not about being more susceptible to the virus; the reason for worse prognosis in people with diabetes is likely to be multifactorial, reflecting the syndromic nature of diabetes.

“Age, sex, ethnicity, and other factors can all contribute to the risk of worse outcomes. Glucose-lowering agents and anti-viral treatments can modulate the risk, but limitations to their use and potential interactions with Covid-19 treatments should be carefully assessed.”

https://www.mightygreen.co.uk/

https://www.theolivetrustwales.com/