Virulence of SARS-COV-2 in diabetic patients

Oumeyma Trimeche; Imen Zemni; Mabrouk Amine Hadj; Gara Amel; Jdira Salem; Wassim Frigui; Iyed Barbana; Anas Bouazizi; Rahma Mansour; Yosra Bouzid; Cyrine Bennasrallah; Maryem Kacem; Hela Abroug; Fredj Manel Ben; Ines Bouanene; Asma Belguith

doi:10.1530/endoabs.81.EP371

Introduction: Diabetes is a serious disease that can lead to a depression of the immune system and thereby it is incriminated in serious complications of many infectious diseases among which is Covid 19. The aim of our study is to determine the virulence of SARS-COV-2 in diabetic patients.

Methods: This is a transversal study conducted in the department of epidemiology at Fattouma Bourguiba Hospital in Monastir, in October 2020. The data was collected from calling the positive patients by phone 30 days after the initial infection.

Results: We collected the data of 1118 patients who had covid 19 in October 2020. The predominant variant in that period was the alpha variant. Forty-nine of our population were diabetic. Therefore, the prevalence of diabetes was 4,1%. Their sex ratio was 0,75. Most of our diabetic patients were aged above 65 years (13,9%). While 0,5% and 4,5% were aged between 19 to 39 years and 40 to 64 years, respectively. Diabetes was significantly associated with an increase in the rates of hospitalization in covid 19 patients (P < 0,01). In fact, the rates of hospitalization in this population corresponded to 22,9% versus 5,2% in non-diabetic patients. Moreover, diabetes increased the risk of oxygen therapy (P < 0,01). Of our 49 patients 12 (24,5%) needed oxygen therapy. As for non-diabetic patients, 68 out of 1134 (6%) needed oxygen. Two out of 48 diabetic patients died (4, 2%). However, out of 1018 non diabetic patients, only 6 were dead (0,6%). Thus, it seemed that diabetes increased the death rate (P = 0,047). Twenty out of 45 diabetic patients had post covid syndrome which corresponds to a prevalence of 45,5%. As for non-diabetic patients 572 out of 1124 reported symptoms related to post covid syndrome (50,9%). The association between diabetes and post covid syndrome was not significant (P = 0,479). The most reported Covid-19 symptoms among our diabetic patients were dyspnea (14,3%), cough (8,1%), fatigue (8%) and headaches (6%).

Conclusion: Our study demonstrates the significant impact of diabetes in hospitalization, the need for oxygen therapy and death in covid 19 patients while it dismisses the association between diabetes and post Covid-19 syndrome.

Endocrine Abstracts

EP371