Episode #46 - Diabetes & COVID-19

16 July 2021 | Science conversation

If you are living with diabetes, what is the risk that COVID-19 poses to you and how can you stay safe and healthy during the pandemic? Hello and welcome to Science in 5. I'm Vismita Gupta-Smith and we are talking to Dr. Gojka Roglic today. Welcome, Gojka. Gojka, please describe the risk posed by COVID-19 to people living with diabetes.

Diabetes has been increasingly common in the past 30 years and there are now more than 400 million people living with diabetes in the world. Unfortunately, about one half of them do not know they have diabetes. They have not been diagnosed. And of those who are diagnosed, many do not have access to medicines nor health services that they need.

This pandemic has shown that people with diabetes are at higher risk than people without diabetes of having a severe illness of COVID and also dying of COVID. The two main types of diabetes are type 1 and type 2. Type 2 is much more common. Type 1 seems to also have a higher risk than type 2 of a severe COVID illness and death. Gojka,

Please explain how people living with diabetes can stay healthy during the pandemic.

The pandemic and the measures to contain it are quite a challenge for people with diabetes. The mainstone in treatment is physical activity and a healthy diet, and that might not be possible in the pandemic conditions. The people with diabetes have to be creative about how to manage to continue the recommended physical activity and a healthy diet within the constraints posed by the pandemic.

Also, the health system has to ensure that people get their medication regularly.

Gojka, please explain how people living with diabetes can stay safe from COVID-19.

Given that people with diabetes are considered a vulnerable group because of the higher risk of severe disease and a higher risk of death than people without diabetes, we strongly recommend all the measures for containing the pandemic and for protecting ourselves as individuals, such as hand washing, wearing masks, ventilating indoor habitats, socializing with people  preferably outdoors whenever possible, and keeping the safe physical distance.

There is also vaccination, which is recommended for people with diabetes as a priority group for vaccinating. Vaccinations are encouraged and they have been proven to be safe and effective.

Thank you, Gojka. That was Science in 5 today. Until next time then. Stay safe, stay healthy and stick with science.