Type 2 diabetes and Coronavirus

[Alwyn]

Apart from diabetes with which I was diagnosed about 8 years ago I am fit, not overweight and walk our dogs 2 miles every day. I take 1 or 2 metformin tablets per day. I am 79.

Reading between the lines of what Diabetes UK has put out it sounds as if the most vulnerable to Coronavirus are type 1. Why would somebody like me be more vulnerable than anybody else of my age in good health?

 

[Eddy Edson]

Apart from diabetes with which I was diagnosed about 8 years ago I am fit, not overweight and walk our dogs 2 miles every day. I take 1 or 2 metformin tablets per day. I am 79.

Reading between the lines of what Diabetes UK has put out it sounds as if the most vulnerable to Coronavirus are type 1. Why would somebody like me be more vulnerable than anybody else of my age in good health?

Don't think there's enough data to really say. The Chinese studies so far haven't looked at eg HbA1c, BG control etc as independent risk factors - there's just a broad "diabetes" category showing elevated risk.

High blood pressure and existing CV diease are other risk factors so I guess it's likely that keeping BP under control and doing the usual CV-health things will reduce risk, whatever yr diabetes status.

EDIT: This is what the American Diabetes Association has to say

Diabetes and Coronavirus | American Diabetes Association

www.diabetes.org

In general, we don’t know of any reason to think COVID-19 will pose a difference in risk between type 1 and type 2 diabetes. More important is that people with either type of diabetes vary in their age, complications and how well they have been managing their diabetes. People who already have diabetes-related health problems are likely to have worse outcomes if they contract COVID-19 than people with diabetes who are otherwise healthy, whichever type of diabetes they have.

 

[silentsquirrel]

Welcome to the forum, @Alwyn !

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

In general, we don’t know of any reason to think COVID-19 will pose a difference in risk between type 1 and type 2 diabetes. More important is that people with either type of diabetes vary in their age, complications and how well they have been managing their diabetes. People who already have diabetes-related health problems are likely to have worse outcomes if they contract COVID-19 than people with diabetes who are otherwise healthy, whichever type of diabetes they have.

Good to see that published by an official body at last Eddy.

It has always seemed likely to be the case to me, but every single news report containing ‘...and diabetes’ was bound to worry everyone affected.

Any illness can make diabetes harder to manage... and unmanaged diabetes doesn’t help you recover from whatever it is... so it’s a bit of a double-edged sword.

Having said that, if you are the sort of PWD who doesn’t usually have that tough a time dealing with Intercurrent illness, and who also doesn’t have any of the other (more common in diabetes folk) factors like high BP and heart problems... then I think the increased risk or Covid19 turning nasty is likely to be quite low?

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

And a welcome to the forum from me too @Alwyn 🙂

 

[KittyC]

Hi I have type 2 diabetes and on various medications for it and its relatively well controlled. Other than that I am very fit and well, normally the gym at least three days a week, golf, walking, netball. I have become a member to try and get my head around this gov advice as well. So thank you for that information, I feel reassured and will be able to reassure my family who are worrying about me.