open access

Vol 6, No 2 (2021)
Original article
Published online: 2021-06-30
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COVID-19 and diabetes: a deadly duo?

Klaudyna Grzelakowska1, Michał Kasprzak2, Jacek Kryś3
·
Medical Research Journal 2021;6(2):119-124.
Affiliations
  1. Faculty of Medicine, Nicolaus Copernicus University in Torun, Ludwik Rydygier Collegium Medicum in Bydgoszcz, Poland
  2. Department of Cardiology and Internal Medicine, Nicolaus Copernicus University in Torun, Ludwik Rydygier Collegium Medicum in Bydgoszcz, Poland
  3. Antoni Jurasz University Hospital No. 1., Nicolaus Copernicus University in Torun, Ludwik Rydygier Collegium Medicum in Bydgoszcz, Poland

open access

Vol 6, No 2 (2021)
ORIGINAL ARTICLES
Published online: 2021-06-30

Abstract

Introduction: Among the patients with severe or fatal COVID-19 a high prevalence of comorbidities is
noted, diabetes being one of them. The objective of the study was to analyse the relation of COVID-19
and diabetes in respect of their influence on hospitalization’s length and outcome.

Materials and methods: The data acquired from the database of Antoni Jurasz University Hospital No.
1 in Bydgoszcz were analysed. The analysis included 1,051 adult COVID-19 positive patients that were
hospitalized between March 14, 2020, and April 12, 2021. The collected data included a history of diabetes
with differentiation between type 1 and type 2, hospitalization outcome (discharge or death), length
of hospital stay.

Results: The prevalence of diabetes in the study group was determined to be 2.09% and 10.18% for
diabetes type 1 and 2, respectively, totalling 12.27% (n = 129). Most of the patients (87.54%) have been
discharged while 12.46% have died. The diabetic patients accounted for 11.63% of the discharges and
16.79% of deaths. The mortality rates in the group of insulin-dependent diabetes were the highest, namely
27.27% vs. 12.15% in the reaming study population (p = 0.0720). Hospitalization’s length did not differ
according to diabetes occurrence as on average it amounted to 15.90 days in diabetic patients and 14.44
days in non-diabetic ones.

Conclusions: COVID-19 and type 1 diabetes may constitute a deadly duo. Further studies that include
patients with insulin-dependent diabetes are needed to better understand the impact of diabetes and
COVID-19 on mortality and hospitalization’s length.

Abstract

Introduction: Among the patients with severe or fatal COVID-19 a high prevalence of comorbidities is
noted, diabetes being one of them. The objective of the study was to analyse the relation of COVID-19
and diabetes in respect of their influence on hospitalization’s length and outcome.

Materials and methods: The data acquired from the database of Antoni Jurasz University Hospital No.
1 in Bydgoszcz were analysed. The analysis included 1,051 adult COVID-19 positive patients that were
hospitalized between March 14, 2020, and April 12, 2021. The collected data included a history of diabetes
with differentiation between type 1 and type 2, hospitalization outcome (discharge or death), length
of hospital stay.

Results: The prevalence of diabetes in the study group was determined to be 2.09% and 10.18% for
diabetes type 1 and 2, respectively, totalling 12.27% (n = 129). Most of the patients (87.54%) have been
discharged while 12.46% have died. The diabetic patients accounted for 11.63% of the discharges and
16.79% of deaths. The mortality rates in the group of insulin-dependent diabetes were the highest, namely
27.27% vs. 12.15% in the reaming study population (p = 0.0720). Hospitalization’s length did not differ
according to diabetes occurrence as on average it amounted to 15.90 days in diabetic patients and 14.44
days in non-diabetic ones.

Conclusions: COVID-19 and type 1 diabetes may constitute a deadly duo. Further studies that include
patients with insulin-dependent diabetes are needed to better understand the impact of diabetes and
COVID-19 on mortality and hospitalization’s length.

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Keywords

SARS-CoV-2, coronavirus, mortality, length of stay, insulin-dependent, type 1 diabetes, type 2 diabetes

About this article
Title

COVID-19 and diabetes: a deadly duo?

Journal

Medical Research Journal

Issue

Vol 6, No 2 (2021)

Article type

Original article

Pages

119-124

Published online

2021-06-30

Page views

413

Article views/downloads

541

DOI

10.5603/MRJ.2021.0030

Bibliographic record

Medical Research Journal 2021;6(2):119-124.

Keywords

SARS-CoV-2
coronavirus
mortality
length of stay
insulin-dependent
type 1 diabetes
type 2 diabetes

Authors

Klaudyna Grzelakowska
Michał Kasprzak
Jacek Kryś

References (17)
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