COVID-19 Infection and Diabetes

Abstract Background Hyperglycemia is one of the most important independent risk factors that affect the prognosis and outcome of COVID-19 patients. Coronavirus disease 2019 infection is associated with poor glycemic control. This study's objectives were to determine the effect of hyperglycemia on the prognosis and outcome of COVID-19 patients and to detect whether COVID-19 infection can induce new-onset diabetes. Patients and Methods This cohort study was carried out on 240 hospitalized Egyptian COVID-19 patients, at Zagazig University Hospital isolation intensive care unit, between March 2020 and March 2021. They compared patients with diabetes and uncontrolled hyperglycemia against each other and COVID-19 patients without diabetes or uncontrolled hyperglycemia. Baseline demographic data, clinical features, and laboratory analysis were collected. Clinical outcome was evaluated via hospital stay and survival rate. Patients with uncontrolled hyperglycemia and nondiabetic patients were followed up 1 year after the hospital discharge to detect the development of new-onset diabetes. Result The diabetic group had the highest creatinine level, and the nondiabetic group had a minor C-reactive protein and D-dimer. The difference is significant between diabetic and nondiabetic groups concerning hospital stay. The nondiabetic group had the shortest hospital stay. There is a statistically substantial relationship between mortality and the glycosylated hemoglobin, serum creatinine, C-reactive protein, D-dimer, and serum ferritin. A total of 46.6% of survivors in the uncontrolled hyperglycemic group and 3.4% in the nondiabetic group developed diabetes mellitus during follow-up. There is a statistically significant relationship between new-onset diabetes mellitus and D-dimer. Conclusions Coronavirus disease 2019 can induce diabetes mellitus in vulnerable patients (presented with uncontrolled hyperglycemia at admission). In addition, COVID-19 patients with diabetes or uncontrolled hyperglycemia have worse outcomes and poor prognoses.