COVID-19 and Diabetic Ketoacidosis in a Child: A Case Report

Abstract

Since the World Health Organization (WHO) announced the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 pandemic, different cases with various diseases have been reported along with the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Although COVID-19 is less common among children than adults, herein we reported an 11-year-old child who was referred to the emergency room of our hospital with tachypnea and a decreased level of consciousness (GCS: 11-15), along with vomiting and abdominal pain as the first manifestations of type 1 diabetes. She had a 2-week history of polydipsia, polyuria, and nocturia and experienced a weight loss of 5kg during the past month. The result of the real-time polymerase chain reaction for COVID-19 was turned out to be positive. The computed tomography scan of the lung revealed subpleural ground-glass opacities that were compatible with COVID-19. Although it was found that diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) is precipitated by various viral infections, it informs us once again that during this pandemic, there should be a high suspicion and awareness of COVID-19 infection in patients with DKA.