Managing Diabetes The Figital Way!

The COVID-19 pandemic has posed several new challenges and an opportunity to transform diabetes care with digital innovation. Looking ahead, technology will play a greater role in diabetes treatment and management once lockdowns ease.

- Omar Sherief Mohammad

The outbreak of COVID-19 has posed several new challenges to diabetes care and has also provided an opportunity for transforming the treatment of diabetic patients. Lockdowns caused by the coronavirus disease have up-turned the lives of people everywhere. Yet, for those living with diabetes, the movement restrictions have raised a whole series of extra questions: how can they seek advice; how can their health be monitored; and how can they continue to manage their condition?

Because of the containment and mitigation measures, people with diabetes found themselves without essential services. This has been disrupting the practices for preventing diabetes-related complications. However, Government bodies and Healthcare professionals and those who support people with diabetes have rallied really well during the lockdown to find innovative ways to help.

People with diabetes most vulnerable during COVID-19

Some of the issues and challenges that have emerged include the reported high incidence of COVID-19 infections among persons with diabetes resulting in a higher number of ICU admissions and higher mortality reported in them. The increased predisposition of patients with diabetes to COVID-19 infections is believed to be related to a compromised innate immunity that accompanies uncontrolled diabetes. The situation would be worse if there are other co-morbidities such as hypertension, chronic kidney disease, or coronary artery disease which often co-exist with diabetes and are also associated with more aggressive COVID-19 infections.

Furthermore, because people with diabetes represent a fragile population that is at an increased risk of mortality from COVID-19, it is recommended to avoid unnecessary diabetes-related hospital admissions to reduce the risk of COVID-19 exposure in the hospital.