Care of Pediatric Patients with Diabetes during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Buggs-Saxton, Colleen

This article summarizes clinical observations and management strategies in pediatric type 1 diabetes (T1D) during the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite initial fears that children with diabetes would, similar to adults with diabetes, be at risk for severe COVID-19, the majority of pediatric patients with a history of type 1 diabetes (T1D) who developed COVID-19 had mild disease or were asymptomatic similar to their peers without diabetes. Studies found that pediatric patients with new-onset diabetes often presented with more severe diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) in part due to both parental anxiety with seeking emergency medical care and systemic barriers to accessing health care during a pandemic. The article also summarizes the use of telemedicine to provide ongoing care for pediatric patients with T1D during the COVID-19 pandemic. Finally, the article highlights important lessons learned about management of pediatric diabetes during the COVID-19 pandemic.