Diabetic in remission, still a high Covid19 risk?

[Starbright]

Hi I have managed to put my diabetes into remission from an HbA1c of 49 to 43 to 41 over 7 months and just over 4 stone weight loss. As a diabetic in remission, am I still in the high risk category for Coronavirus?? I’m only just in remission but I’ve lost 4 lbs more since the blood test and have a BMI of 21.9 so may be a tiny bit lower now. I’m just not sure if I am high risk. Either way, I hope you all stay safe and healthy during these difficult and worrying times.

 

[Bruce Stephens]

As a diabetic in remission, am I still in the high risk category for Coronavirus

Latest advice (which you can get to from the banner above) suggests probably not. There's always risks with being ill (it tends to increase blood glucose and put stress on the body), but the more significant risks seem to be with people with poorly controlled diabetes (presumably because they're more at risk from complications of the virus like pneumonia).

 

[Starbright]

Thanks Bruce, reassuring to know. I’ll look at the banner

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

I think it’s very hard to accurately estimate individual risk, but some indications show that well managed diabetes (especially in younger people) puts you at much lower risk than problematic diabetes.

https://forum.diabetes.org.uk/boards/threads/coronavirus-covid19-information.85707/#post-959602

In general, people with diabetes are more likely to experience severe symptoms and complications when infected with a virus. If diabetes is well-managed, the risk of getting severely sick from COVID-19 is about the same as the general population.​

When people with diabetes do not manage their diabetes well and experience fluctuating blood sugars, they are generally at risk for a number of diabetes-related complications. Having heart disease or other complications in addition to diabetes could worsen the chance of getting seriously ill from COVID-19, like other viral infections, because your body’s ability to fight off an infection is compromised.​

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Of course, living with diabetes adds extra complexity to any illness or infection, because of the knock-on effect it can have on BG management, and also the body’s ability to fight infection and heal generally.

So I believe I am probably at increased risk from someone without diabetes, but at the lower end of the diabetes risk ‘spectrum’.

 

[Tee G]

Hi @Starbright - well done on getting you diabetes well controlled, that's very impressive.

I would say really, we are all at risk, but having chronic conditions make us a little more so than some others. We all need to exercise caution and try to follow the official guidelines as much as possible. Its going to be a long lonely road for many people. Staying distant from friends/family is going to be hard. Avoiding crowded places. Only going out only when we must for supplies/medicines etc. staying feet away from people we meet out on our walks. Its tough. But doable. I posted a link you may find helpful. All the best.

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