Member-only story
Could Covid-19 Trigger Diabetes in Otherwise Healthy People?
The coronavirus is not just a risk for people with diabetes — it may actually cause the disease
It’s well established that people who have diabetes are at a higher risk for serious complications from Covid-19, especially if the diabetes isn’t well managed. But researchers are now looking into another side of the connection between these two illnesses: whether infection with the novel coronavirus may trigger diabetes in people with no prior history of diabetes.
While it’s too early to say with certainty that the coronavirus causes new-onset diabetes, diabetes researchers from around the world are aware of enough cases to pique their interest in a potential link. They recently created a global patient registry and initiative called The CoviDIAB Project to improve their understanding not only of how common new-onset diabetes as a result of Covid-19 may be, but also how and why it’s developing, and how to manage and treat it.
“Given the very short history of human infection with SARS-CoV-2, an understanding of how Covid-19–related diabetes develops, the natural history of this disease, and appropriate management will be helpful,” diabetes experts involved in the initiative wrote in a letter published in the New England Journal of…
