Child at a hospital.Photo: Getty Images
The report, which was released Friday, explored two large insurance claim databases in the United States, specifically examining the frequency of newly diagnosed diabetes cases among children under 18 who were COVID-positive at some point between March 1, 2020, and June 28, 2021. The diabetes diagnoses were from patients 30 days post-COVID-19 infection, compared to those who were not infected.
Researchers found an increase in new diabetes cases in both sets of insurance databases. The first database showed an increase of 166%, while the second set of data showed a lower increase of 31%.
“Even a 30 percent increase is a big increase in risk,” Sharon Saydah, a researcher at the C.D.C who spearheaded the study toldTheNew York Times. She explained that the stark difference between the findings of the two databases is likely a result of different ways of categorizing children as having COVID.
Dr. Saydah noted that most children were studied for about four and a half months, so it was still unclear if the diabetes would be chronic or improve over time. The increase in diabetes cases was witnessed in both symptomatic and asymptomatic individuals.
The study also found that diabetes was “116% more likely to occur among those with COVID-19” than among those with acute respiratory infections before the pandemic.
According to the report, COVID-19 “might lead to diabetes through direct attack of pancreatic cells.”
“It’s really important for clinicians, pediatricians and parents to be aware of the signs and symptoms of diabetes, so they can get their kids diagnosed,” Dr. Saydah told the outlet.
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Symptoms of diabetes include increased thirst, frequent urination, extreme hunger, unintended weight loss and fatigue. Type 2 diabetes differs from Type 1 in that former is largely diet-related, though the CDC report did not differentiate between the types of diabetes found in the study.
The CDC’s findings echo what doctors have already seen among adults who recovered from the virus, therefore the agency continues to highlight thebenefits and importance of vaccinesand masking up.
As information about thecoronavirus pandemicrapidly changes, PEOPLE is committed to providing the most recent data in our coverage. Some of the information in this story may have changed after publication. For the latest on COVID-19, readers are encouraged to use online resources from theCDC,WHOandlocal public health departments.PEOPLE has partnered with GoFundMeto raise money for the COVID-19 Relief Fund, a GoFundMe.org fundraiser to support everything from frontline responders to families in need, as well as organizations helping communities. For more information or to donate, clickhere.
source: people.com
