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The latest analyses based on seven previous studies suggests that diabetes may increase long Covid risk. The researchers reviewed studies that tracked people for at least four weeks after Covid-19 recovery to see which individuals developed persistent symptoms associated with long Covid such as brain fog, skin conditions, depression, and shortness of breath.
Diabetes and long Covid:
Interestingly, according to three studies, diabetes patients were up to four times more likely to develop long Covid compared to people without diabetes, as per a presentation conducted on Sunday at the annual Scientific Sessions of the American Diabetes Association.
Additionally, the researchers noted that diabetes appears to be "a potent risk factor" for long Covid but their findings are preliminary because the studies used different methods, definitions of long Covid, and follow-up times, and some looked at hospitalized patients while others focused on people with milder cases of Covid-19.
However, it is worth noting that the researchers have said that more high-quality studies across multiple populations and settings are needed to determine if diabetes is indeed a risk factor" for long Covid. In the meantime, "careful monitoring of people with diabetes... may be advised" after Covid-19, the researchers said.
Another interesting analysis studied the link between Covid-19 in pregnancy with babies' potential learning skills. Researchers have found that babies born to mothers who had Covid-19 while pregnant may be at higher than average risk for problems with brain development involved in learning, focusing, remembering, and developing social skills, as per Reuters report.
As per the research, a study was conducted on 7,772 infants delivered in Massachusetts between March and September 2020, tracking the babies until age 12 months. During that time, 14.4% of the babies born to the 222 women with a positive coronavirus test during pregnancy were diagnosed with a neurodevelopmental disorder, compared to 8.7% of babies whose mothers avoided the virus while pregnant. After accounting for other neurodevelopmental risk factors, including preterm delivery, SARS-CoV-2 infection during pregnancy was linked with an 86% higher risk of a neurodevelopmental disorder diagnosis in offspring, the researchers reported on Thursday in JAMA Network. The risk was more than doubled when the infection occurred in the third trimester.
Notably, the researchers point out that their study was brief and cannot rule out the possibility that additional neurodevelopmental effects will become apparent as the children grow up. On the other hand, they note, larger and more rigorous studies are needed to rule out other potential causes and prove that the coronavirus is to blame.
(With inputs from Reuters)