Diabetics face big virus risk
Diabetics face a significantly higher risk of dying from coronavirus, a study has found.
People with type 1 diabetes have three and a half times the risk of dying in hospital with the virus and those with type 2 double the risk, compared to people without diabetes, according to the NHS study.
Of the 23,804 Covid-19 related deaths in English hospitals between March 1 and May 11, 7,831 (32.9 per cent) were diabetes patients.
The percentage of adult cases of diabetes in the Somerset CCG is above the average for England.
In 2018/19, 33,577 patients aged 17 and over registered with a GP in the area had diabetes - 7.1 per cent. The national average is 6.9.
Across England, there were 3.3 million registered patients with diabetes in 2018/19, a 3.9 per cent increase compared with the previous year.
Professor Jonathan Valabhji, national clinical director for diabetes and obesity and lead author of the NHS study, said: “This research shows the extent of the risk of coronavirus for people with diabetes and the different risks for those with type 1 and type 2 diabetes.
“Importantly, it also shows that higher blood glucose levels and obesity further increase the risk in both types of diabetes.
“This can be worrying news but we would like to reassure people that the NHS is here for anyone with concerns about diabetes – and has put extra measures in place to help people and keep them safe, including online sites to support people to care for themselves, digital consultations, and a dedicated new helpline for advice and support for people treated with insulin.”
The health service has announced a helpline with Diabetes UK, Novo Nordisk and Insulet, as well as new online advice for people to help them manage their diabetes during the outbreak.
However, Diabetes UK is calling on the Government to urgently review all the emerging evidence.
It is also calling for measures to keep people with diabetes safe at work, such as homeworking, furloughing or stringent social distancing for those key workers who must be at work.