‘Covid-19 could have long-term diabetes effect’

We expect a tsunami of diabetes cases and higher blood sugar levels due to the Covid crisis,” said endocrinologist Dr Shashank Joshi, dean, Indian College of Physicians, who is a member of Maharashtra state task force on Covid-19.

The 1,000-day IMPACT India campaign, supported by pharma major Novo Nordisk, aimed at bringing down levels of HbA1c (an indirect diabetes marker) by 1%—from 8.6% in November 2018 to 7.6% in July 2021, thereby sharply reducing the risk of diabetes-related stroke, heart attack and kidney failure.

The IMPACT findings at the end of two years showed the HbA1c graph, which kept reducing from 8.6% in November 2018, started rising as the lockdown began. In the July-September quarter, the average HbA1c count for all-India stood at 8.5%.

In Mumbai, the HbA1c count, which dropped to 8.1% in April-June 2019, climbed to 8.2% in July-September period.

When the pandemic struck in March, doctors noted several critically ill patients had elevated levels of blood sugar levels. “In the first Covid-19 peak in Mumbai in May, many patients brought to hospitals for admission had sugar levels over 400,” said a public hospital doctor.

Data from across the world shows diabetes is directly associated with severity and deaths in Covid-19 patients. A doctor said Covid could have a long-term effect on diabetes as some needed more medication and insulin.