If You're Diabetic Your Risk of Long COVID May Be Much Higher

According to the study, if you're diabetic you're more likely to suffer from long COVID.

A COVID-19 Laboratory team researching for their study, wearing protective gear. 

(Photo: iStock)

People with diabetes are four times more likely to develop long COVID symptoms than others, according to a report from the American Diabetes Association. The statement came as part of a presentation on Sunday, 5 June.

Another study published on Thursday, 9 June in the Journal of the American Medical Association, claimed that babies born to mothers who suffered from COVID during pregnancy, were at a higher risk of developing neurological difficulties.

Here's what you need to know:

1. Diabetes And Long COVID Risk

Now, don't let the medical jargon scare you- Long COVID is a condition where patients who contracted the SARS-CoV-2 virus, have persistent symptoms (like extreme fatigue, muscle weakness or breathlessness), even after more than 12 weeks of initial infection.

A new analysis of seven previous reports have shown that having diabetes increases your risk of developing long COVID.

Scientists had been actively tracking infected individuals weeks after they recovered to check for any shortness of breath, skin conditions, depression, or brain fog.

While the study claims that diabetes is a potent risk factor for long COVID, the findings are still in their preliminary stages as the studies employed different methods, follow-up timings, distinct definitions of long COVID, as well as different samples ranging from those hospitalised with COVID to those with milder cases of the disease.

"Higher quality studies along with a larger sample size is essential to determine a substantial conclusion but for now, keeping a closer eye on diabetic COVID patients can be beneficial."

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2. COVID-19 in Pregnancy May Slow Down Brain Development in Newborns

A pregnant woman receiving her dose of COVID-19 vaccine. 

Studies suggest babies born to women who had COVID-19 while they were pregnant show a higher chance of developing brain problems, or suffering from improper brain development, including difficulties in learning, focusing, remembering, and developing social skills.

• 7,772 infants who were born between March and September 2022 were tracked until 12 months of age.

• 14.4 percent of the babies born to the 222 women with a positive coronavirus test during pregnancy were diagnosed with a neurodevelopmental disorder (compared to the 8.7 percent of babies whose mothers avoided the virus while pregnant).

• The study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association also stated that SARS-CoV-2 infection during pregnancy was associated with an 86 percent higher risk of diagnosing neurodevelopmental disorders in children.

The risk was more than doubled when the COVID infection occurred in the third trimester.

Researchers argued that the study was brief and there might be additional neurological defects seen in the future. However, a rigorous study is needed to ensure that the defects were solely because of Coronavirus.

3. Rare Post-COVID-19 Syndrome in Children Almost Negligible Now

Students in class to study, despite the on-going global pandemic. 

A new study shows that the rare and life-threatening inflammatory syndrome that appeared in some children after coronavirus infection became rarer, with the Omicron type causing the most infections.

More than half a million infected children and adolescents in Denmark experienced a breakthough in their infection after the administration of the vaccine during the Omicron wave.

• On the whole, 11 unvaccinated children (and only one vaccinated) developed pediatric multisystem inflammatory syndrome (MIS-C) causing inflammation of the heart, lungs, kidneys, and brain after a mild or asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection.

• This further corresponds to 34.9 cases of MIS-C per million children unvaccinated with COVID-19 and 3.7 cases per million young patients vaccinated with COVID-19, reported studies on Wednesday, as said in JAMA Pediatrics.

• To give perspective, the Delta widespread MIS-C case rate was 290.7 per million unvaccinated children and 101.5 per million vaccinated with the COVID virus.

The low MIS-C risk suggested that in vaccinated children, the vaccine is helping to keep the immune system from causing a deadly inflammatory reaction which is the conventional hallmark of MIS-C.