Study: COVID-19 May Raise Risk Of Diabetes In Children
NORTH TEXAS (CBSDFW.COM) - A new study by the CDC shows a possible link between COVID-19 and Type-1 diabetes in pediatric patients. The concern is growing among doctors as COVID-19 cases in the pediatric population rise.
"What they found was there was an association of an increased risk with diabetes and those who had had COVID-19 in the prior 30 days," says Dr. James Cutrell , infectious disease doctor at UT Southwestern Hospital.
The CDC looked at insurance claims from two U.S. health plans. One database showed an increase of 166% in new diabetes among kids who had COVID-19 and the other data set showed a lower, yet concerning spike of 31%.
Dr. Cutrell says while the data doesn't prove a directly link, it is still concerning.
"I think what it does do is it highlights the fact that there may be long term health effects are consequences of getting COVID-19 infection and so people should be aware of that and to continue to take precautions."
Other risk factors such as obesity and autoimmune disorders may also be at play, but a lot is unknown about exactly how COVID-19 affects other organs.
"It can cause, you know neurologic consequences. It can cause cardiac consequences and there's even some data suggesting that the virus could affect the pancreas," he said.
He says more study is required to truly understand the impact of covid on the body. Meantime, parents should watch for symptoms of Type-1 diabetes which include increased thirst, frequent bathroom breaks, hunger, fatigue, and blurred vision. A simple blood test will determine if your child has diabetes or not.
