The relationship between diabetes and the severity of COVID-19

Abstract

Abstract Background A new viral disease called coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) originally surfaced in Wuhan, China, and has swiftly spread throughout the globe. We sought to comprehend how COVID-19's prognosis related to diabetes mellitus. Methods This is a retrospective, single-center cohort research conducted at Damascus Hospital from December 25, 2020 to March 20, 2021, 365 COVID-19 patients were enrolled. Data on demographics, clinical characteristics, laboratories, radiologic findings, therapies, complications, and clinical outcomes were taken from medical records and compared between groups with and without diabetes (n = 195 and n = 170). Results Out of 365 COVID-19 patients that were involved in the trial, 207 (57%) were men and 158 (43%) were women. Patients participating in COVID-19 were divided into two groups: those with diabetes (n = 195) and those without the condition (n = 170). Patients with diabetes had higher rates of symptoms such as fatigue (86.7%, P = 0.000), dyspnea (93.8%, P = 0.000), headache (32.8%, P = 0.000), and chest discomfort (8.2%, P = 0.000). We found that those with uncontrolled diabetes who were coronavirus-infected had a significant mortality rate, with a death rate of 64% in this group of patients. Conclusion The prognosis of COVID-19 is independently at risk due to diabetes. Patients with diabetes, especially those who require insulin therapy, should get more focus on prevention and treatment.