The long-term consequences of SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus infection are becoming known as new scientific studies are published. New research has now revealed that children and adolescents are more likely to be diagnosed with type 2 diabetes in the six months after contracting COVID-19, compared to those who have suffered other respiratory infections.
Researchers from Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland (Ohio, USA) carried out this study, the conclusions of which have been published in the journal JAMA Network Open, based on previous work that had already established a similar relationship between COVID-19 and type 2 diabetes in adults and have published. These scientists analyzed data from electronic medical records of 613,602 people between 10 and 19 years old, who had had COVID-19 or some other documented respiratory infection between 2020 and 2022.
Only people who did not have a prior diagnosis of type 2 diabetes were included. Half of the participants had been diagnosed with COVID-19, while the other half had diagnoses of flu, pneumonia, or another acute respiratory infection.
Benefits of preventing SARS-CoV-2 infection in children
The risk of being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes increased from the first month after COVID, peaking at six months, at which time people who had had COVID were more than 50% more likely to develop type 2 diabetes compared to those who had suffered other respiratory diseases. The level of risk was similar when analyzing only adolescents who were overweight or obese.
“It’s a very significant increase,” said Dr. Pauline Terebuh, an epidemiologist at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine and lead author of the study, in an interview with The Washington Post. “If a child is diagnosed with diabetes, they will have to live with that chronic disease their entire life.”
14,000 people diagnosed with COVID who were hospitalized had three times the risk of developing type 2 diabetes compared to more than 22,000 people hospitalized for other respiratory infections
Most study participants were not sick enough to be hospitalized. However, 14,000 people diagnosed with COVID were hospitalized and had a three-fold increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes compared to more than 22,000 people hospitalized for other respiratory infections.
One limitation of the study was that the researchers were unable to examine whether COVID-19 vaccination influenced the likelihood of developing diabetes, which they recognize as an important factor that remains to be explored. According to surveys, approximately 50% of those under 18 years of age had received at least one dose of the vaccine by mid-November 2022, although the main concern of parents was side effects and distrust in the vaccine.
There is no cure for type 2 diabetes, which is a metabolic condition that can lead to dangerously high blood sugar levels and is associated with many other serious health problems throughout life. In the article, the researchers conclude that “understanding the role that SARS-CoV-2 plays in the incidence of pediatric type 2 diabetes will add an important component to the consideration of the risks and benefits of preventing SARS-CoV-2 infection.” in children.”
