Rise in non-Covid deaths because of disruptions from pandemic: Lancet

Non-Covid-related deaths increased among people having diabetes because of pandemic-related disruptions, new research published in The Lancet Diabetes and Endocrinology journal has found.

The global review of studies comparing pre-pandemic and during-pandemic data found that the complication of sight loss in people with diabetes also increased. The negative impacts were most pronounced for women, younger people and racial and ethnic minority groups, it found.

The team of researchers, including those from the World Health Organization (WHO), looked at 138 studies - North America (39), Western Europe (39), Asia (17) and others from Eastern Europe, South America, Egypt, Australia and multiple regions - to examine the impacts of pandemic-related disruptions on the vulnerable diabetic population.

The research findings pointed to the importance of ensuring that all people with diabetes, especially those from the less advantaged groups, had consistent access to diabetes medication, researchers said.

Along with an increase in deaths, the researchers found a “startling” increase in diabetes-related admissions to paediatric ICUs, as well as a rise in cases of diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) among children and adolescents. DKA is a potentially life-threatening complication of diabetes, characterised by vomiting, abdominal pain, taking deep gasps while breathing and increased urination.

The data on paediatric ICU admissions and DKA was probably the most striking. Finding clear evidence that diabetes was a risk factor for death from Covid, the team then looked at the pandemic’s indirect impacts on diabetes management such as reduced access to healthcare.