Type 1 Diabetes

Type 1 Diabetes occurs when the body’s immune system attacks insulin-producing pancreatic beta cells, causing the body to have insufficient insulin stores. Below are COVID news and research updates that specifically relate to Type 1 Diabetes.

Autoimmunity & COVID: Are You More at Risk?

Researchers in Italy studied whether autoimmunity increased the risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection in patients not taking immunosuppressive drugs. Researchers contacted 400 patients with the following autoimmune diseases: autoimmune gastritis, celiac disease, autoimmune thyroid disease (both Graves’ disease and Hashimoto’s thyroiditis), and Type 1 diabetes. Positive COVID-19 test results were reported in 33 patients. Only 3 of the 33 patients required hospitalization, while 8 were asymptomatic, and 22 had mild symptoms. No deaths were recorded.

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Covid-19 Outcomes in Autoimmune Disease Patients

Autoimmune disease is currently considered a risk factor for severe COVID-19. A research article published in Rheumatology last Fall summarized 30-day outcomes of autoimmune disease (AD) patients following hospitalization with COVID-19. AD patients diagnosed and/or hospitalized between January and June 2020 with COVID-19 were included, and their 30 day outcomes were compared to patients with at least one AD hospitalized with influenza from September 2017 through April 2018.

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Type 1 Diabetes Patients Become Eligible for COVID-19 Vaccine in 12+ States

The Colorado Department of Health along with 11 other states just raised vaccination eligibility requirements for type 1 diabetes patients as a “high risk” group. In Colorado, anyone between the ages of 16-64 who have T1 diabetes and one other high risk condition will be eligible to get the coronavirus vaccine as early as today, March 5. They will be included in the 1B.3 vaccine group. This comes after Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation’s (JDRF) extensive lobbying efforts to list T1 diabetes as a high risk condition alongside T2 diabetes.

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