Covid

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Titchvic

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Hubby has been T1 for 45 years and today had a positive lateral flow test. We're now waiting for PCR result to confirm. But he's not well and his sugars are up at 24. Anyone with T1 had diabetes had covid? Was it a bumpy ride? I guess I'm looking for reassurance everything will be ok. Thanks x
 
Hope he soon feels better, all he can do is treat the symptoms and adjust insulin as needed. I'm sure hubby will be fine fingers crossed he has had his vaccinations so the norm is if you end up with Covid it's usually a mild dose.
 
Hi

So sorry to hear your husband has Covid and is not feeling too well. Does he have an understanding of sick day rules?

It is important that he tests his BG levels every 2 hours and drinks plenty of fluids and increases his insulin to bring the high levels down and test for ketones. Does he have a means of testing for ketones? Either urine strips or ideally Blood Ketone strips if he has a meter which will take them. Levels in the 20s are concerning and it is important that he tests for ketones when his levels are high. I believe that with Covid, ketones can develop at lower levels than usual which is normally mid teens, so do monitor that closely. If you don't have any means of testing for ketones, you need to get some asap. Urine ketone strips can be purchased from a chemist over the counter for about £5 which might be the quickest option.
Hopefully someone can link to a copy of sick day rules which is a sort of flow chart to direct you what to do in different circumstances. If in doubt seek medical advice via 111 or 999 if he becomes really unwell.
 
Why do I not know anything about testing for ketones???? He doesn't have anything. I feel a call to the GP coming on tomorrow. He has had 2 vaccines but not yet a booster. Fingers crossed that will be enough to get him through it. Honestly, I'm terrified
 
Can you tell us which insulins he is on? Really hoping he isn't on a mixed insulin?
 
OK, that is a relief that he is at least on a modern insulin regime. Is he aware how to use the NovoRapid to correct high BG levels? He may also need to increase his Tresiba which is his basal insulin. If you look at the sick day rules link it will guide you. Tresiba is his basal or long acting insulin and NovoRapid is his Bolus or quick acting insulin just so you understand the terminology of the flow chart. It suggests to consider an increase of 10-20% in his basal dose if his levels are persistently high as well as using the NovoRapid in the first instance to try to reduce high levels.

There was a bit of discussion here on the forum at the start of the pandemic about stocking up on things like ketone test strips and insulin and making people aware of sick day rules, so that people would be prepared, especially as once you are infected you need to isolate, so picking up extra supplies becomes more difficult. I hope you are able to get something sorted tomorrow. I am guessing that he will need urine sticks unless he has a special BG meter which can also take ketone strips. Do you know which BG meter he has?
 
Titchvic said:
Why do I not know anything about testing for ketones???? He doesn't have anything. I feel a call to the GP coming on tomorrow. He has had 2 vaccines but not yet a booster. Fingers crossed that will be enough to get him through it. Honestly, I'm terrified
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I was never told about ketone testing either, when I was diagnosed 15 years ago. I was vaguely aware that it existed, but when I read about the ketones/Covid thing on here, I asked my GP to prescribe me some ketone strips, which she did.
 
Robin said:
I was never told about ketone testing either, when I was diagnosed 15 years ago. I was vaguely aware that it existed, but when I read about the ketones/Covid thing on here, I asked my GP to prescribe me some ketone strips, which she did.
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Brilliant, think I'll call the GP today and ask. Thank you!
 
rebrascora said:
OK, that is a relief that he is at least on a modern insulin regime. Is he aware how to use the NovoRapid to correct high BG levels? He may also need to increase his Tresiba which is his basal insulin. If you look at the sick day rules link it will guide you. Tresiba is his basal or long acting insulin and NovoRapid is his Bolus or quick acting insulin just so you understand the terminology of the flow chart. It suggests to consider an increase of 10-20% in his basal dose if his levels are persistently high as well as using the NovoRapid in the first instance to try to reduce high levels.

There was a bit of discussion here on the forum at the start of the pandemic about stocking up on things like ketone test strips and insulin and making people aware of sick day rules, so that people would be prepared, especially as once you are infected you need to isolate, so picking up extra supplies becomes more difficult. I hope you are able to get something sorted tomorrow. I am guessing that he will need urine sticks unless he has a special BG meter which can also take ketone strips. Do you know which BG meter he has?
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Not sure where his meter is now as he has a CGM the libre one. I'll contact the GP today and ask some questions! Thank you
 
Titchvic said:
Not sure where his meter is now as he has a CGM the libre one. I'll contact the GP today and ask some questions! Thank you
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Does he not finger prick to check highs, lows or recovering from a hypo? Or not even to check that the Libre is reading correctly? The Libre isn't a replacement for finger pricking and a finger prick test should be done in the instances I stated at the beginning, Abbott advise this themselves as the Libre is less accurate at higher and lower levels, also they aren't without faults and could be reading wrong xx
 
Totally agree with @Kaylz and I am quite shocked that his BG meter has been made redundant. Whilst the Libre is wonderful, it should not be totally relied upon and finger pricks should still be used to double check hypos and high readings before treatment or correction because they can be less accurate at high and low levels. He should also ensure that he has a back up means of testing with him for when driving etc.

I am pleased that you have come to the forum because clearly there are gaps in your husband's knowledge which are potentially putting him at more risk. I think he would benefit from an intensive education course like DAFNE or whatever your local equivalent is. Some people who have been diagnosed a long time slip through the net with that sort of thing and just muddle along without the latest info as you are now realising.

I hope he is feeling a bit better today and his levels are starting to come down a bit. Please let us know how he is getting on and how you manage with obtaining a means of testing for ketones.
 
If he’s using the Libre reader, rather than a smartphone, that also takes glucose strips, so maybe he has a prescription for those and is using the reader as his meter. That’s what I do now. If he has a Libre reader, it also takes Ketone test strips, so he can use it for both glucose and ketones.
 
Yep - so the ketone strips he needs to use with the Libre Reader are -

Abbott Freestyle Optium Ketone Testing Strips.

That is what the GP surgery need to know, in order to prescribe them.

If he uses his phone rather than the Reader to scan his Libre, find the Reader asap and get it plugged in to the mains to charge it, at least overnight cos if not used recently, it takes much longer than your average mobile phone to charge.

To use it for blood testing, turn it on with the round button on the front, then insert the strip (the ketone ones are in individual foil wrappers and come in boxes of 10) which will then flash and tell you to apply blood - and they need a quite big blob of blood to work - when it has enough it beeps and then you get a butterfly flitting across the screen whilst it's analysing, then you get the reading on the screen.
 
Titchvic said:
Not sure where his meter is now as he has a CGM the libre one. I'll contact the GP today and ask some questions! Thank you
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I hope he doesn't drive then, because if he does he is breaking the law.
 
Pumper_Sue said:
I hope he doesn't drive then, because if he does he is breaking the law.
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Not if he has test strips that fit the Libre reader, we don’t know that yet, the question has been asked.
 
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