Comparing New-onset Diabetes in Post Moderate-to-severe Coronavirus Disease 2019 Patients with Newly Diagnosed Diabetes Patients with Mild or without Prior Coronavirus Disease 2019 Infection

Abstract

Systemic inflammation and various drugs used for treating coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) including high-dose corticosteroids play a role in the development of new-onset diabetes (NOD). Patients of all ages and genders recovering from COVID-19 reportedly have an increased incidence and relative risk of developing diabetes. The present study thus tried to compare NOD in post moderate-to-severe COVID-19 patients with newly diagnosed diabetes patients with mild or without prior COVID-19 infection. This cross-sectional study included 100 newly diagnosed diabetes patients with a previous history of moderate-to-severe COVID-19 and those with no or mild history of previous COVID-19 infection (50 each in both groups). A detailed history was taken, and a clinical examination was done. Data on symptomatology, family history of diabetes, behavioral habits, anthropometry, and glycemic parameters was captured. Stress levels were assessed using the 5-point Perceived Stress Scale-10. The data obtained were statistically analyzed. Assessing for the glycemic indices – fasting blood glucose, postprandial blood glucose, and glycosylated hemoglobin – was significantly higher in the moderate/severe COVID-19 arm as in comparison to the no/mild COVID-19 arm (P < 0.0001). C-peptide was significantly higher in the moderate/severe COVID-19 arm (P < 0.0001). The stress score was as high as 23.54 for the moderate/severe COVID-19 arm in comparison to 15.00 for the no/mild COVID-19 arm. NOD following COVID-19 pneumonia differs to some extent from NOD without COVID-19 in terms of having increased insulin resistance and worsened glycemic parameters. Clinicians should be aware of this entity as more aggressive control of dysglycemia is warranted to avoid complications arising out of it.