According to health officials, people with diagnosed diabetes are more likely to catch and develop different infections. That is because high blood sugar level can make the patient’s immune system vulnerable and defenseless against strong viral infections, including coronavirus.
Moreover, people with severe diabetes-related issues, such as reduced flow of blood and nerve damage, are very susceptible to such viruses. Therefore, ever since the coronavirus was identified, diabetes patients are told to stay more careful than others.
During the early times of COVID-19, a study showed that 25% of people who showed up at the hospitals with contraction of coronavirus disease were already patients of diabetes. After further tests, it became clear to health officials that diabetic patients are at more risk of being infected than other people. In fact, it was reported in the studies that people with diabetes, when infected, have a less chance to survive and recover from the virus. Similarly, if a patient of heart or lung diseases catches the infection of COVID-19, they would be less likely to revive from it.
Another threatening factor for diabetic patients is that if they get tangled with COVID-19, the infection would not only act strongly itself, but it can also create more diabetes-related complications, such as diabetic ketoacidosis or DKA. The coronavirus infection, when combined with diabetes, increases the level of ketones acid in the blood, which triggers DKA, a very serious disease.
In general, health professionals try to repair the damage caused by coronavirus by a treatment called sepsis. Sepsis is only performed in patients who have profound symptoms of COVID-19 and their body is exhibiting a very dangerous response to it. In sepsis, doctors manually try to manage the electrolyte levels and fluids in the patient’s body. However, if a patient already has a diabetic-related issue of DKA, it makes them lose electrolytes, which results in the failure of sepsis. Consequently, those patients find it hard to battle the virus and survive.
Considering all the threatening factors above, diabetic patients ask about how they can avoid the virus and stay healthy.
Well, there are no specific instructions for diabetic patients to avoid the virus—they need to take the same precautions as everyone else—that includes staying at home as much as possible. According to Americans With Disabilities Act, diabetic patients have the right to make the environment accommodating for them at work. They can work from home during the pandemic; they can also take sick leaves if they feel the need.
Another way to stay vigilant of the virus is to get tested as soon as possible, if you already haven’t in a while. A test would made it possible for you and the health professional to identify you properly as a patient in case the test comes back positive. That way, you can be treated accordingly and best methods would be followed to preserve your health. If you are based in Chicago, you can have a rapid COVID test at ChicagoCovidTest.com.
