ABSTRACT
Background: Mississippi ranks second for childhood obesity prevalence (22%) above the national average of 16 % with significant racial and health disparities. Since March 2020, stay-at home orders, virtual learning, stress, and poor lifestyle may have provided a perfect setup leading to new diagnosis of diabetes and accounting for record high hospitalizations. Objective: To determine the impact of the COVID-pandemic on the rate and clinical characteristics of newly diagnosed pediatric diabetes at University of Mississippi Medical Center. Methods: Chart review and data comparison completed for patients with new-onset-diabetes between January 20-February 2020 (pre pandemic) ;and between March 2020-October 2020 (pandemic) . Results: Table 1. African Americans were disproportionately diagnosed with diabetes (64%) . Eighty percent of obese patients had type 2 diabetes with 38% presenting in DKA, 3 patients in HHS. Four patients were COVID-positive on admission. Conclusions: Our observations corroborate the steep rise in the number of new-onset type 1 and type 2 diabetes, particularly in African Americans, in a highly prevalent obese pediatric population. Additional studies are required to determine the detailed effects of SARS-CoV-2 infection and pandemic associated psychosocial, clinical and biochemical effects on development of diabetes in the pediatric population.