Study Finds One In 10 Covid-19 Patients With Diabetes Dies Within One Week

A new study published in the European Association for the Study of Diabetes' journal, Diabetologia, found that COVID-19 patients who also have diabetes are more than twice as likely to die within a week. A team of French researchers reviewed over 1,300 cases and found that within seven days, one in ten patients had died, while 20% had to be put on a ventilator. They noted that 3% of the patients in the study learned they had diabetes after they had been hospitalized for COVID-19.

The researchers said that 65% of the patients were men with an average age of 70.

"Elderly populations with long-term diabetes with advanced diabetic complications and/or treated obstructive sleep apnea were particularly at risk of early death and might require specific management to avoid infection with the novel coronavirus," the researchers said.

The researchers noted that obese patients were more likely to suffer complications and die, especially after the first week of hospitalization.

They did find that patients under the age of 65 with Type 1 diabetes fared better. While there were only 39 patients in that category, none of them died after contracting the coronavirus.

The researchers said their findings showed that insulin and other diabetic treatments did not increase the severity of the virus and suggested that doctors can continue a patient's current course of treatment.

Photo: Getty Images


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