Ann Pediatr Endocrinol Metab.  2024 Jun;29(3):167-173. 10.6065/apem.2346124.062.

Clinical characteristics and outcomes of COVID-19 in children and adolescents with diabetes in Daegu, South Korea

• Lee NW
• Kim YM
• Kim YH
• Kang SJ
• Jang KM
• Kim HS
• Moon JE
• Kim JK

• KMID: 2556673
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.6065/apem.2346124.062

Abstract

Purpose
Children with comorbidities have a higher risk of severe, coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). This study investigated the clinical features and outcomes of COVID-19 in children and adolescents with diabetes between January and March 2022.
Methods
We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 123 children and adolescents (73 with type 1 diabetes and 50 with type 2 diabetes, 59 males and 64 females) aged <18 years who had been diagnosed with diabetes. Data were collected from 7 academic medical centers in Daegu, South Korea.
Results
Thirty-five children with diabetes were diagnosed with COVID-19 (18 with type 1 and 17 with type 2 diabetes). Eighteen of the 35 children with diabetes and COVID-19 and 50 of the 88 children with diabetes alone received a COVID-19 vaccination. No significant differences were observed between patients with diabetes and COVID-19 and patients with diabetes alone in the type of diabetes diagnosed, sex, age, body mass index, hemoglobin A1c, or vaccination status. All children with diabetes and COVID-19 had mild clinical features and were safely managed in their homes. Fourteen children had a fever of 38℃ or higher that lasted for more than 2 days, 11 of whom were not vaccinated (p=0.004). None experienced post-COVID-19 conditions.
Conclusion
All children and adolescents with pre-existing diabetes had mild symptoms of COVID-19 due to low disease severity, high vaccination rates, uninterrupted access to medical care, and continuous glucose monitoring. Unvaccinated children with diabetes who experienced COVID-19 presented with higher and more frequent fevers compared to vaccinated children.

Keyword

COVID-19; SARS-CoV-2; Diabetes mellitus

Reference

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