COVID-19 Severity Is Tripled in the Diabetes Community: A Prospective Analysis of the Pandemic’s Impact in Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetes

Gregory, Justin M.; Slaughter, James C.; Duffus, Sara H.; Smith, T. Jordan; LeStourgeon, Lauren M.; Jaser, Sarah S.; McCoy, Allison B.; Luther, James M.; Giovannetti, Erin R.; Boeder, Schafer; Pettus, Jeremy H.; Moore, Daniel J.

OBJECTIVE: To quantify and contextualize the risk for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)–related hospitalization and illness severity in type 1 diabetes. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: We conducted a prospective cohort study to identify case subjects with COVID-19 across a regional health care network of 137 service locations. Using an electronic health record query, chart review, and patient contact, we identified clinical factors influencing illness severity. RESULTS: We identified COVID-19 in 6,138, 40, and 273 patients without diabetes and with type 1 and type 2 diabetes, respectively. Compared with not having diabetes, people with type 1 diabetes had adjusted odds ratios of 3.90 (95% CI 1.75–8.69) for hospitalization and 3.35 (95% CI 1.53–7.33) for greater illness severity, which was similar to risk in type 2 diabetes. Among patients with type 1 diabetes, glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA(1c)), hypertension, race, recent diabetic ketoacidosis, health insurance status, and less diabetes technology use were significantly associated with illness severity. CONCLUSIONS: Diabetes status, both type 1 and type 2, independently increases the adverse impacts of COVID-19. Potentially modifiable factors (e.g., HbA(1c)) had significant but modest impact compared with comparatively static factors (e.g., race and insurance) in type 1 diabetes, indicating an urgent and continued need to mitigate severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection risk in this community.