COVID 19 Severity Is Tripled in the Diabetes Community: A Prospective Analysis of the Pandemic's Impact in Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetes
OBJECTIVE To quantify and contextualize the risk for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID 19) related hospitalization and illness severity in type 1 diabetes. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS We conducted a prospective cohort study to identify case subjects with COVID 19 across a regional health care network of 137 service locations. Using an electronic health record query, chart review, and patient contact, we identified clinical factors influencing illness severity. RESULTS We identified COVID 19 in 6,138, 40, and 273 patients without diabetes and with type 1 and type 2 diabetes, respectively. Compared with not having diabetes, people with type 1 diabetes had adjusted odds ratios of 3.90 (95% CI 1.75 8.69) for hospitalization and 3.35 (95% CI 1.53 7.33) for greater illness severity, which was similar to risk in type 2 diabetes. Among patients with type 1 diabetes, glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) hypertension, race, recent diabetic ketoacidosis, health insurance status, and less diabetes technology use were significantly associated with illness severity. CONCLUSIONS Diabetes status, both type 1 and type 2, independently increases the adverse impacts of COVID 19. Potentially modifiable factors (e.g. HbA1c) had significant but modest impact compared with comparatively static factors (e.g. race and insurance) in type 1 diabetes, indicating an urgent and continued need to mitigate severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection risk in this community.
Diabetes Care