Third wave soon, COVID-19 patients with Type 1 diabetes more likely to be hospitalized and die: Dr Pranav Kabra

MUMBAI: Patients with diabetes, particularly Type 1 diabetes are at a much higher risk of COVID-19-related complications, especially those who are over the age of 40, says Dr Pranav Kabra of the Raksha Multispeciality Hospital in suburban Mumbai.

Dr Kabra has warned that a Covid third wave is coming soon, as early as next month. The third wave will first start in Goa as lakhs of people from all over India mingle and mix during the Christmas-New Year festive season. It will then spread to Maharashtra and after Maharashtra is hit, the rest of the country will be down with the third wave, he said.

While, children who contract COVID-19, rarely develop severe respiratory symptoms and often remain asymptomatic or only exhibit very mild symptoms, severe respiratory problems are more evident in adults and definitely those with diabetes or other cardiovascular diseses.

Adults experience respiratory symptoms of varying severity, with older adults and those with diabetes at a much higher risk of acute respiratory distress syndrome, leading to death.

People with uncontrolled diabetes who contract COVID-19 and who are 40 and older in age, are more likely to experience adverse outcomes such as death, diabetic ketoacidosis (a severe form of diabetes) or severe hypoglycemia. Obesity, hypertension, cardiovascular disease and chronic kidney disease were also prevalent in this segment of patients over 40, when compared to younger patients, Dr Kabra said.