Covid risk higher in younger diabetics

LARGE-SCALE analysis led by the University of Exeter, and funded by Diabetes UK, has found a disproportionately higher Covid-19 death risk in middle-aged people with type 2 diabetes, raising questions over vaccination strategies across Europe.

The study, accepted for publication in Diabetologia, found that compared to people of a similar age without type 2 diabetes, the additional Covid-19 mortality risk from having type 2 diabetes increases the younger someone is.

Although the risk is low in absolute terms, the increase has a significant potential to impact middle-aged people particularly, as it elevates their existing agerelated risk of Covid-19.

For example, a person aged 50 with type 2 diabetes has the equivalent Covid-19 mortality risk of a 66-year-old person without diabetes: an additional risk of 16 years. This difference reduces with increasing age, so that the Covid-19 mortality risk of a person aged 70 with diabetes is similar to that of someone without diabetes aged 78: an additional risk of eight years.

While some countries such as the UK and Germany already prioritise people with type 2 diabetes for vaccines, this is not being consistently applied across comparable countries including many in Europe.

Dr Andrew McGovern, of the University of Exeter Medical School, who led the research, said: “It’s important to remember the risk to middle-aged people with diabetes of dying from Covid-19 is very low in absolute terms compared with the elderly.

“However, vaccine roll-out should be done in order of risk. Strategies to define priority groups for vaccination must consider the disproportionate relative risk of Covid-19 mortality in middle-aged people with type 2 diabetes whose Covid-19 risk is already elevated by their age. We recommend that anyone with diabetes takes up the vaccine as soon as it’s available to them.”

The research team also involved the University of Warwick, the Alan Turing Institute, and University College London, accessing published data from three UK studies, including tens of millions of people in the community and in hospital across the country.

Dr John Dennis, of the University of Exeter Medical School, said: “Type 2 diabetes is one of the most common health conditions.

“Our study highlights how we can use cutting-edge data science to provide precision diabetes research that can inform the complex real-time discussion on Europe-wide Covid-19 vaccination strategy.”

AN investigation has been launched following an incident on a fishing trawler in which one man died and another crew member was injured.

The incident happened off the Isles of Scilly on board a Newlynbased fishing vessel called The Cornishman on Saturday morning. A lifeboat from St Mary’s was called at 6.30am with a coastguard helicopter and the Penlee lifeboat attended when the beam trawler got closer to Newlyn.

Devon and Cornwall Police said the incident resulted in the death of a 50-year-old man from the Torpoint area.

Meanwhile, a second male crew member was also taken to Royal Cornwall Hospital at Treliske with minor injuries and was later discharged.

Detective Inspector Daniel Massey, of Devon and Cornwall Police, said: “Police and partners from the Marine Accident Investigation Board, Maritime and Coastguard Agency and coastguard, were informed of an incident on board a fishing vessel some 50 miles off the Cornish coast, resulting in the death of one male and the injury to another of the crew.

“The families of those involved have been informed and a joint investigation is now under way.”

The Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) is now conducting an independent investigation into what happened. It described it as “an accident.”

An MAIB spokesperson said: “The MAIB is conducting a safety investigation into a fatal accident on the beam trawler Cornishman. Sadly, one fisherman died and another suffered injuries in the accident. A team of MAIB inspectors have deployed to Newlyn, Cornwall.”

The vessel is currently docked at Newlyn Harbour, where it was met on arrival by the police. It is owned by local company W Stevenson & Sons Ltd, which is now owned by Ocean Fish.

The Cornishman is a fishing vessel built in 1971 by Boele Bolnes in the Netherlands.

According to the vessel information website Baltic Shipping, the vessel is currently sailing under the UK flag.