Diabetes and COVID-19 in-hospital mortality rates

Over the last few months, researchers have rushed to gather information on the effects of a virus that, just last year, was unknown to science. The virus, SARS-CoV-2, causes the disease COVID-19.

Now, with millions of cases globally, scientists are trying to understand which factors have an association with poorer outcomes.

Among these factors is diabetes. As the authors of the recent study explain, early analyses from Italy, China, the United States, and the United Kingdom suggest that individuals with diabetes have an increased risk of developing more severe cases of COVID-19.

However, until now, studies have not differentiated between type 1 and type 2 diabetes; the latest investigation addresses this gap in our understanding.

The findings are available from the U.K.’s National Health Service (NHS) website; they have not yet been peer reviewed and are awaiting publication.