Impact of SARS-CoV2 on youth onset type 2 diabetes new diagnoses and severity

Introduction: Initial reports show an increase in youth onset type 2 diabetes during the COVID-19 pandemic. We aim to expand on existing evidence by analyzing trends over a longer period.

Objectives: Our study aims to describe change in the amount, severity, and demographics of youth onset type 2 diabetes diagnoses during the COVID-19 pandemic compared to the five years before.

Methods: We performed a retrospective cross-sectional review of youth (age ≤ 21) diagnosed with type 2 diabetes during the COVID-19 pandemic (1 May 2020-30 April 2021) and the five years before (1 May 2015-30 April 2020) at a tertiary care center. Children were identified by International Classification of Diseases codes. Charts were reviewed to confirm diagnosis. Chi-square, t tests, and Fisher's exact tests were used for analyses.

Results: In the prepandemic era annual diagnoses of type 2 diabetes ranged from 41-69 (mean = 54.2), whereas during the pandemic period 159 children were diagnosed, an increase of 293%. The increase resulted in a higher incidence rate ratio during the pandemic than before, 2.77 versus 1.07 (p = .006). New diagnoses increased most, by 490%, in Non-Hispanic Black patients. The average HbA_1c at presentation was higher during the pandemic (9.5% ± 2.6) (79.9 mmol/mol ± 28.2) than before (8.7%±2.1) (72.1 mmol/mol ± 23.1) (p = .003). Of those diagnosed during the pandemic, 59% were tested for COVID-19 and three tested positive.

Conclusions: New diagnoses of type 2 diabetes increased during the pandemic, most notably in Non-Hispanic Black youth. There was not a significant correlation found with clinical or biochemical COVID-19 infection in those tested.