Patients with severe Covid & pre-diabetic conditions showed persistent diabetes after recovery: Doctors

Doctors from private hospitals in Pune found that several patients with severe Covid infection who had high blood sugar levels during Covid treatment had persistent diabetes even after recovery

Pre-diabetic and obese patients who later tested positive for Covid and developed serious infection have been found to develop diabetes during treatment, with the diabetes persisting even after recovery in many patients. Doctors from private hospitals in Pune found that several patients with severe Covid infection who had high blood sugar levels during Covid treatment had persistent diabetes even after recovery.

Pre-diabetic and obese patients who later tested positive for Covid and developed serious infection have been found to develop diabetes during treatment (REPRESENTATIVE IMAGE)

Dr Vikrant Gosavi, consultant - Endocrinology, Manipal Hospitals, Kharadi, Pune, said that there was an iceberg phenomenon during the pandemic. “Iceberg phenomenon of disease suggests that the submerged portion of the iceberg would be much bigger than the tip of the iceberg. In this case, the number of people living with diabetes yet undiagnosed/undetected/asymptomatic/untreated is very high. We see that there are a lot of patients who are not diagnosed with diabetes. However, during the pandemic, many got tested and so, there were many patients who were already pre-diabetic in nature and later tested positive for covid infection. However, the degree of covid infection in these patients was different. And hence, their response was also different,” said Dr Gosavi. In pre-diabetic patients with severe Covid infection, Covid further triggered the diabetes.

“Patients with severe disease and pre-diabetic conditions reported permanent diabetes. The immune response of the body during the infection was causing sugar to increase because persistent diabetes was reported. Only a small portion of these patients did not report persistent diabetes post recovery. Also, patients with severe diabetes reported an increase in the severity of diabetes after recovery,” said Dr Gosavi.

Sharing similar observations, Dr Harshal Ekatpure, consultant endocrinologist with city-based Ruby Hall Clinic, said that many patients who had severe covid infection were pre-diabetic in nature. “These patients were admitted with severe Covid; they had pre-diabetic conditions and other risk factors such as obesity and family history. Covid infection further triggered the diabetes post recovery. Besides these, many patients who did not have diabetes earlier got diabetes because of the use of steroids during the treatment of Covid. Because of Covid, many patients reported damage of the pancreas or associated internal inflammation which led to insulin resistance. The second aspect is medication; doses of steroids which lead to brief development of diabetes. However, these patients have recovered from diabetes after recovery from Covid,” said Dr Ekatpure.