Coronavirus Type 1 Diabetic

[Avril.1]

Hey everyone,

I am newly diagnosed a few months with Type 1 diabetes, recently I have been very concerned about all the talk about Coronavirus and how for people with diabetes it is a lot more dangerous, should diabetics be as worried as they are saying in the media etc.

Thank you very much

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

I don’t think there is anything to be unduly worried about as a T1.

Remember that 90% of people with diabetes have T2 and are (on average) more elderly. And it seems to be older people who are more at risk. Tbh I’m not all that convinced that there is much to be worried about for the vast majority of T2s either.

Long term conditions do carry extra risk, and illness can be a bit of a nuisance (and cause BG upheaval) when you live with diabetes.

But flu kills far more people every year (with additional risk if you live with diabetes) - so I wouldn’t be any more vexed about corona (particularly while there are still only 13cases in the U.K.) than you would be every winter about Flu.

 

[Tee G]

Hi @Avril.1 - they like to sell newspapers dont they! I agree with @everydayupsanddowns - and his observations. Along with that...Im an asthmatic, and i hear talk in the media about that being of great concern. TBH im more worried about my husband and his nail biting habit - every time we go outside, shopping, or whatever i say wash your hands! i must say it 10 times a day LOL (we have 2 local surgery's close down for a week recently for 'deep cleans') I wonder is Lidl is safe? LOL

 

[Josh DUK]

Here is our statement regarding the coronavirus.

Coronavirus and diabetes updates

All the coronavirus information below applies to the whole of the UK, unless specified. We've noted where are some differences in guidance and diabetes services across the UK.

www.diabetes.org.uk

 

[Docb]

Josh, looking at the quote in your post. It talks about risk but the risk of what? Risk of catching it? Risk of being mildly inconvenienced by it? Risk of dying from it?

I really do wish people would stop talking about risk in such a cavalier fashion.

 

[Josh DUK]

Josh, looking at the quote in your post. It talks about risk but the risk of what? Risk of catching it? Risk of being mildly inconvenienced by it? Risk of dying from it?

I really do wish people would stop talking about risk in such a cavalier fashion.

We received many queries about it and we thought it would be best if we shared where you can find information and support.

 

[Docb]

Just read the whole thing and I see what you are trying to do, and it is done well. My point still holds although it should be directed at the sources you are using rather than DUK.

 

[atoll]

as you are young and only recently diagnosed, and if you keep your control level good or at least below 10mmol fasting you should be no more at risk than any other mortal.
elevated sugar levels for extended periods will make you more susceptible to infection so eat ,exercise,sleep as you would normally.
wash hands regularly etc,avoid public spaces as in the NHS guidelines.

 

[zoombapup]

I think that the risk for CoronaVirus for diabetics with other conditions is probably bigger. Sleep Apnoea for instance is likely to have a higher risk factor (apparently people have respiration problems with the virus). The mortality rate isn't absolutely clear yet though, but honestly I'm in a very high risk situation (work at a University with a bunch of international students all coming and going from places like China and Italy), so I think unless you're at a place like mine, your overall risk is going to be very low.

So consider me the canary in the coalmine if you like. If I go down, you're in trouble 🙂

 

[trophywench]

We do our shopping in large supermarkets since that means we can get virtually everything we need in one fell swoop, hence we are exposed to all sorts of germs when we do. Pete with his COPD seems to have trouble whenever he's been in close proximity to any group of people and the GP waiting room is one of the very worst places he sometimes has to visit it seems to me, which is logical cos the seats are close together really whereas only the checkout queues in large shops hold the same risks.

It's tricky, isn't it!

 

[Tee G]

I dont think i like the thought of an aeroplane with this 'flying' around at the mo - pun intended 😉 ...... My friend is due to go an a cruise in May!! (her first, ooops) she has been sent an email saying checks will be carried out each time they embark i.e. at every stop on the tour - can you imagine if you get carted off because they 'suspect' something is awry. Rather her than me! Good luck with that one !

 

[Amity Island]

Hey everyone,

I am newly diagnosed a few months with Type 1 diabetes, recently I have been very concerned about all the talk about Coronavirus and how for people with diabetes it is a lot more dangerous, should diabetics be as worried as they are saying in the media etc.

Thank you very much

What I do know is that the quote from the chief medical officer today saying that they may close all schools for two months if they can't contain the virus, would in effect, shut the whole country down. No schools means parents at home looking after them, means a huge number of people not at work. It would have a huge impact on everything.

 

[atoll]

What I do know is that the quote from the chief medical officer today saying that they may close all schools for two months if they can't contain the virus, would in effect, shut the whole country down. No schools means parents at home looking after them, means a huge number of people not at work. It would have a huge impact on everything.

currently flu kills globally 640,000 yearly(cfr0.1%) and this is 20 times more deadly(cfr2.0%) so has the potential to kill 12.8 million yearly if unchecked.

short term inconvenience and disruption will be a small price to pay to stop this virus becoming endemic.

 

[Amity Island]

currently flu kills globally 640,000 yearly(cfr0.1%) and this is 20 times more deadly(cfr2.0%) so has the potential to kill 12.8 million yearly if unchecked.

short term inconvenience and disruption will be a small price to pay to stop this virus becoming endemic.

I agree, preventing the spread is the best option. Although I wouldn't describe an almost complete shut down of schools and work places, shops and high population venues and events as an inconvenience.

 

[atoll]

I agree, preventing the spread is the best option. Although I wouldn't describe an almost complete shut down of schools and work places, shops and high population venues and events as an inconvenience.

better to understate so as not to cause panic,keep calm and carry on washing those hands

 

[Amity Island]

better to understate so as not to cause panic,keep calm and carry on washing those hands

"20 times more deadly(cfr2.0%) so has the potential to kill 12.8 million yearly if unchecked".
Do you mean that quote was understated to avoid panic? What is the actual figure?

 

[Eddy Edson]

"20 times more deadly(cfr2.0%) so has the potential to kill 12.8 million yearly if unchecked".
Do you mean that quote was understated to avoid panic? What is the actual figure?

The CFR in China has very quickly reduced to 0.7% for cases identified from 1st Feb:


It's being contained very successfully, so far, with reported cases falling dramatically from 2,700 per day early on, to ~300 per day now (in a population of 1.4 billion+ ...). Outside of Hubei province, there's just a handful per day. This despite potential to spread "astonishingly quickly" (WHO's words).

The WHO says the success is due to China's fast & comprehensive effort to identify, diagnose, track contacts and isolate/quarantine.

Without that kind of effort, "seven times more deadly than flu" might be about right, or an underestimate, given that this thing appears to spread more rapidly if uncontrolled. With the right effort, public health impacts likely very small, but obviosuly a lot of disruption.

 

[atoll]

lets hope so,a CFR of 0.7 brings the virus into the realms of equal to what respiratory disease already kills yearly,so effectively doubling it to about 10 m per year,https://ourworldindata.org/causes-of-death.
not so good is the WHO just announced this~

WHO raises Global Risk from Coronavirus to the highest level of alert “We have now increased our assessment of the risk of spread and the risk of impact of COVID-19 to very high at global level,” World Health Organization chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told reporters.

“If we don’t take action... that may be a future that we have to experience,” he said, adding that “a lot of the future of this epidemic is in the hands of ourselves.”
source https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/

 

[atoll]

"20 times more deadly(cfr2.0%) so has the potential to kill 12.8 million yearly if unchecked".
Do you mean that quote was understated to avoid panic? What is the actual figure?

there is no figure, we will not know until the last case is eradicated,though using the CFR of( 0.7) covid against the known CFR of flu (0.1) and know yearly cases of 640k the extrapolation is 4.48 million yearly if it becomes endemic,ie no cure.

 

[grovesy]

Some people can't afford not to work.