Importance of SMBG during the COVID-19 pandemic

Dr Vijay Viswanathan explains how people with Diabetes can effectively manage their blood sugar levels and stay healthy and safe.

- Dr Vijay Viswanathan

The COVID-19 infection has caused lesser deaths in India than in many other countries. However among people who developed serious disease, uncontrolled Diabetes was one of the important factors. Uncontrolled Diabetes prevents a person with COVID-19 infection from mounting the right type of immunity against the virus.

The American Diabetes Association website states that people with Diabetes are more likely to experience severe symptoms and complications when infected with a virus. If Diabetes is well-managed, the risk of getting severely sick from COVID-19 is about the same as the general population.

When people with Diabetes do not manage their Diabetes well and experience fluctuating blood sugars, they are generally at risk for a number of Diabetes-related complications. This is why it is of paramount importance that people with Diabetes effectively manage their blood sugar levels.

In the research paper we recently published in the peer reviewed journal Diabetes and Metabolic Syndrome: Clinical Research and Reviews, we did an online survey of how people with Diabetes were coping with their Diabetes during the lockdown. A small per cent of people who were using only insulin would check their blood sugar levels regularly. But on the whole, the percentage of people who would self monitor their blood sugar levels regularly was very less - only 28 per cent - during the lockdown. The positive point was that most people said that they were able to follow their diet properly because they were always at home and were also able to keep themselves physically active.

Importance of SMBG