Lockdown and T2

[andyp64]

Hi All,
New T2 since the last lockdown we had in the UK.
My question is:- if we have another lockdown, do those with recent T2 (so not fully under control yet), need to shield and isolate?
I have no other issues other than struggling to adapt to my new meds and to get my BG levels down.
I've read elsewhere on this site that those with T2 can suffer worse from colds and flu. Any one any thoughts on if this applies to C-19 (especially omicron)?
Rgrds
Andy

 

[Felinia]

I don't know the specific answers to your queries, I can only speak from my experience. Since diagnosis 3 years ago, I've had 2 bouts of proper flu, 2 bouts of bronchitis and 4 bouts of kidney infections. Before that I would get a cold every couple of years. So I am being super careful still, and have my mask on all the time I am off my property. But I have been to a couple of Christmas meals with friends, and continued my exercise classes until they shut down until the New Year.

 

[Bruce Stephens]

My question is:- if we have another lockdown, do those with recent T2 (so not fully under control yet), need to shield and isolate?

Probably not, unless your GP things you ought to. (Most of us weren't asked to shield last time.)

I've read elsewhere on this site that those with T2 can suffer worse from colds and flu. Any one any thoughts on if this applies to C-19 (especially omicron)?

Yes, there's good evidence it applies to COVID-19, too. (Just the factor of having diabetes multiplied the risk of dying once in hospital by ~2 or 3. And having poorly controlled BG or other factors made that worse.)

(So, obviously, get whatever doses of vaccines you can, both COVID-19 and flu. Though there's not much sign of flu yet, I think.)

 

[Drummer]

Despite no positive test I am pretty sure I have had the omicron version due to the symptoms being spot on, and I think I might have had an earlier version 2 years ago.
I usually get flu badly if I catch it, but despite no flu jabs in recent years I have been free of it and the two bouts of whatever it was have been by no means a cause for anxiety - so I don't think that it is possible to make sweeping statements.
However - the times when I was most ill with flu and other problems to do with the lungs etc. were also when I was being pushed to eat a low fat high carb diet most strongly.

 

[Bruce Stephens]

I usually get flu badly if I catch it, but despite no flu jabs in recent years I have been free of it and the two bouts of whatever it was have been by no means a cause for anxiety - so I don't think that it is possible to make sweeping statements.

No, of course all these things are statistical assessments. Individuals vary a lot, and individual infections vary a lot.

 

[Kaylz]

Having diabetes doesn't make you get an illness any worse than a muggle but the illness can have an impact on BG control, personally I've not noticed a difference in my BG levels with a cold or the weird illness I had at the end of 2019 (which I suspect was an early variant as I've never had anything like it before) xx

 

[Lucyr]

Shielding has ended and not all lockdowns have required shielding. You would get a letter if shielding was brought back in and you needed to do it but so far they have been saying shielding is not required for anyone at all

 

[Amigo]

I believe diabetes can most certainly impact on other illnesses more severely and it’s believed people with diabetes exist in a higher inflammatory state which is why COVID seems to have had a more severe impact on diabetics overall. However, very few people with reasonably controlled diabetes alone seemed to need shielding. I was on the CEV list as the result of blood cancer which doesn’t play well with diabetes in the first place. I developed sepsis before my diabetes was diagnosed because Hyperglycemia in diabetes is thought to cause dysfunction of the immune response, which fails to control the spread of invading pathogens. It had a much greater impact on my illness (which was a simple UTI).

I‘m not expecting shielding to be reintroduced but being very careful, keeping levels under control and being vaccinated will be needed if omicron becomes as widespread as predicted.