The coronavirus usually attacks the lungs, but is increasingly associated with a wider variety of diseases and problems, including neurological and heart disorders, to which diabetes can now be added, according to a study published by an international team of specialists.
The researchers found that
14% of people with coronavirus developed type 1 or type 2 diabetes for the first time
, although it was not determined whether the virus accelerated the onset of the disorder or caused it.
It is also not known whether it is a temporary or permanent condition, according to the analysis of eight investigations published in November by the journal Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism, which
The Washington Post
released on Monday
.
"We've definitely seen an increase in the problem in newly diagnosed [COVID-19] patients," Mihail Zilbermint, director of Suburban Hospital in Bethesda, Maryland, said in an interview with the
Post
.
"Before, we used to treat about 18 patients a day," he explained.
Now his team cares for up to 30 people with diabetes a day.
[What are the coronavirus vaccines that are available and who can receive them]
As early as January 2020, doctors in Wuhan, China, noticed elevated blood sugar levels in COVID-19 patients.
Elevated blood glucose levels are also common among those taking dexamethasone, a steroid that is a treatment for the virus.
A nurse cares for a COVID-19 patient at a Seattle hospital, where cases have declined but a rebound is feared with newer variants of the virus.
AP
Still, a year into the pandemic, the precise nature and extent of the coronavirus-diabetes link remains a mystery.
There are COVID-19 patients who had risk factors for developing diabetes, such as obesity or a family history, and others who did not.
The finding comes as new cases of the coronavirus mutations, detected in the United Kingdom, Brazil and South Africa, come to light, which are feared to be more contagious.
And although the numbers of the pandemic are decreasing slightly in the country, it is estimated that in the coming months 130,000 people may die from the coronavirus.
Those over 65 are the most affected.
[Why are new variants of the coronavirus now appearing?]
The vaccination campaign, one of the main weapons in the fight against the virus, also still faces a shortage of doses and delays in states across the country, with some exceptions such as West Virginia, Alaska and North Dakota.
This doctor explains how the coronavirus attacks the lungs and can cause suffocation
March 14, 202003: 13
The Joe Biden Administration expressed concern Monday that healthcare providers are
saving vaccines for second doses, rather than giving them now
to people waiting for the first dose, fearing there will not be enough in the future.
"It doesn't have to happen and it shouldn't happen," COVID-19 Senior Advisor Andy Slavitt said in a virtual conference call.
Slavitt recalled that the White House began reporting details of shipments three weeks in advance, so that suppliers can be sure about the supply available.
He also highlighted the progress of the campaign in the last week.
"On January 20, states had managed 46% of their inventory. Today, that number is 62%. We are focused on this every hour of every day," he said.
COVID-19: Is Johnson & Johnson's Vaccine Better?
Feb. 1, 202102: 41
The response team to the pandemic also announced a reinforcement in another of its axes in the strategy against the pandemic: coronavirus tests.
[These three COVID-19 home tests can help curb infections in a few minutes and from your home kitchen]
The federal government made a $ 230 million deal with the Australian company Ellume to
generate millions of rapid tests for the home
.
The kits can detect the virus with about 95% accuracy in 15 minutes and will be available for about $ 30.
Slavitt said the company will be able to scale its production to make more than 19 million test kits per month by the end of 2021, 8.5 billion of which are guaranteed to the US government.
With information from The Washington Post, CNN, The New York Times and ABC News.