How to Manage Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Let’s Hear the Patient’s Voice

Abstract

Diabetes is one of the most significant comorbidities associated with COVID-19 susceptibility and severity, and recent statistics have identified that up to half of all individuals with COVID-19 have had diabetes. Over 90% of people with Type 2 diabetes mellitus are overweight or obese, and obesity itself increases the severity of COVID-19 and the risk of needing intensive care and ventilation. Careful glycaemic control improves outcomes for individuals with diabetes and also significantly reduces risks if they become infected with COVID-19. It is, therefore, essential that research focuses on effective ways in which to manage Type 2 diabetes mellitus during this global pandemic. What healthcare professionals focus their attention and resources on is also crucial to its niftiness and, considering that patient self-management is key to effective glycaemic control, it makes sense that healthcare practitioners call on the patient for some advice.