A territory‐wide study on the impact of COVID‐19 on diabetes‐related acute care

• Published in: Journal of diabetes investigation Vol. 11; no. 5; pp. 1303 - 1306
• Main Authors: Lui, David Tak Wai, Lee, Chi Ho, Chow, Wing Sun, Fong, Carol Ho Yi, Woo, Yu Cho, Lam, Karen Siu Ling, Tan, Kathryn Choon Beng
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Japan John Wiley & Sons, Inc 01-09-2020; John Wiley and Sons Inc; Wiley
• Subjects: Acute Disease; Age; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Confidence intervals; Coronaviruses; COVID-19; Delivery of Health Care; Diabetes; Diabetes Complications - epidemiology; Diabetes mellitus; Diabetes Mellitus - drug therapy; Diabetic Ketoacidosis - epidemiology; Female; Glucose; Health care; Hemoglobin; Hong Kong - epidemiology; Hospitalization; Hospitalization - statistics & numerical data; Hospitals; Humans; Hyperglycemia; Hyperglycemia - epidemiology; Hypoglycemia; Hypoglycemia - chemically induced; Hypoglycemia - epidemiology; Hypoglycemic Agents - adverse effects; Hypoglycemic Agents - therapeutic use; Incidence; Ketoacidosis; Male; Middle Aged; Pandemics; Regression Analysis; Retrospective Studies; Risk factors; Severity of Illness Index; Short Report; Hong Kong; United States > US; COVID-19; Hospitalization; Diabetes
• ISSN: 2040-1116; 2040-1124
• DOI: 10.1111/jdi.13368

Diabetes is a risk factor for the severity of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19). Little is known how the COVID‐19 pandemic has disrupted diabetes‐related acute care. We compared hospitalization rates for severe hyperglycemia or hypoglycemia during the COVID‐19 outbreak in Hong Kong (study period: 25 January to 24 April 2020) with those during 25 January to 24 April 2019 (inter‐year control) and 25 October 2019 to 24 January 2020 (intra‐year control), using Poisson regression analysis. Hospitalization rates abruptly decreased after the first confirmed local COVID‐19 case on 23 January 2020, by 27% and 23% compared with the inter‐year and intra‐year control periods, respectively (incidence rate ratio 0.73 and 0.77, P < 0.001). Hospitalizations were reduced for severe hyperglycemia and hypoglycemia, but not diabetic ketoacidosis. This significant reduction in hospitalization rates should alert endocrinologists to take proactive measures to optimize glycemic control of individuals with diabetes.
Diabetes is a risk factor contributing to the severity of COVID‐19 infection. However, little is known about the collateral effect of the COVID‐19 pandemic on diabetes‐related acute care. We have quantified the impact in a territory‐wide study and shown an abrupt drop in hospitalization rates for severe hyperglycemia or hypoglycemia after the onset of the COVID‐19 outbreak on 23 January 2020.