COVID_19

Diabetes patients with COVID-19 have worse outcomes. Is ethnicity a factor? A recent study published in the LANCET (July, 2020) found that people diagnosed with type 1 or type 2 diabetes have an increased risk of contracting severe COVID-19. Patients with both diabetes and COVID-19 have a poorer prognosis than patients with only diabetes.

Diabetes patients with COVID-19 have worse clinical outcomes

Clinical outcomes are worse in BAME patients compared to White patients.

The article attributed the worse prognosis in the former group to a variety of factors including ethnicity. In particular, BAME diabetes patients have a higher risk of COVID-19 and poorer clinical outcomes compared to Caucasian patients. The reasons for poor outcomes in ethnic minority patients is not fully understood.

Easley Magazine – 2019

Further research is need to improve clinical outcomes in BAME patients

The aforementioned article notes the higher prevalence of cardiovascular disease, obesity, and other comorbidities in BAME patients, who are also more likely to be economically disadvantaged and live in overcrowded conditions.

Multidisciplinary research is essential for optimal solutions

Need to understand comorbidity patterns in South Asian countries

Nevertheless, the article highlights the comparatively low COVID-19 rates in India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh, despite high rates of diabetes and levels of deprivation. Thus, the impact of diabetes and COVID-19 on BAME communities seems more complex than previously thought. Further research is needed to identify cost-effective ways of improving clinical outcomes.