COVID-19 has been linked to the onset of type 2 diabetes in children

According to a new study conducted recently, the famous virus COVID-19 seems to be associated with the appearance of type 2 diabetes in children.

COVID-19 has been linked to the onset of type 2 diabetes in children

Patients between the ages of 10 and 19 confirmed by COVID 19 with a higher risk of new type 2 diabetes within six months compared to those diagnosed with other respiratory diseases, according to researchers at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, note international newspapers.

The research follows on from a meta-data analysis showing an increased risk of type 2 diabetes in adults. The meta-analysis revealed a 66% higher risk of new diabetes after SARS-CoV-2 infection in adults.

COVID-19 and type 2 diabetes: what the study shows

In the current retrospective study, “SARS-CoV-2 Infection and New-Onset Diabetes Mellitus Among Pediatric Patients, 2020 to 2022,” published in JAMA Network Open, researchers looked at there was a similar pattern in children.

The study looked at a group of 613,602 patients between the ages of 10 and 19. After propensity score matching, this group was divided equally into two groups: 306,801 patients who were diagnosed with COVID-19 and 306,801 patients who was diagnosed with other respiratory infections (ORIs).

The research compared the incidence of a new diagnosis of type 2 diabetes at one, three and six months after the first respiratory infection. Risk ratios (RRs) for developing type 2 diabetes after COVID-19 were found to be significantly higher than those with ORI.

Specifically, the RR was 1.55 (95% CI, 1.28-1.89) at one month, 1.48 (95% CI, 1.24-1.76) at three months, and 1.58 (95% CI, 1.35-1.85) six months after a disease

Smaller subgroup analyzes revealed even higher risks among children classified as obese, with RRs of 2.07 at one month, 2.00 at three months, and 2.27 at six months. Hospitalized patients also showed increased risks, with RRs of 3.10 at one month, 2.74 at three months, and 2.62 at six months after being diagnosed with COVID-19.

The study concluded that infection with SARS-CoV-2 is associated with a higher incidence of diagnosis of type 2 diabetes in children than in those with other respiratory diseases. More research is needed to determine whether diabetes is persistent or a reversible condition.

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