A new study in UK has observed a pattern of children getting diagnosed with new-onset type 1 diabetes amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, Reuters reported.
In a study in London, which analyzed data from 30 children and was published in the Diabetes Care journal, it said that the cases of type 1 diabetes among children in UK almost doubled at the peak of the pandemic in the country, noting a possible link between the two illnesses.
Study co-author Karen Logan also cited previous reports in China and Italy, which showed children being diagnosed with type 1 diabetes during the peak of the pandemic in the countries.
However, she noted that since the study in London was based on a few cases, more research needs to be done.
“Our analysis shows that during the peak of the pandemic the number of new cases of type 1 diabetes in children was unusually high in two of the hospitals [we studied] compared to previous years,” Logan told Reuters.
“When we investigated further, some of these children had active coronavirus or had previously been exposed to the virus,” she added, noting that among the 21 children tested for the diseases, five was confirmed positive.
The team said one explanation for this could be that the spike protein of COVID-19 might have been attacking insulin-making cells in the pancreas.
“More research is needed to establish whether there is a definitive link, … but in the meantime we hope clinicians will be mindful of this,” Logan added.
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