ABSTRACT
Background: Patient outcomes of COVID-19 have improved throughout the pandemic. However, because it is not known whether outcomes of COVID-19 in the type 1 diabetes (T1D) population improved over time, we investigated differences in COVID-19 outcomes for patients with T1D in the United States. Methods: We analyzed data collected via a registry of patients with T1D and COVID-19 from 56 sites between April 2020 and January 2021. We grouped cases into first surge (April 9, 2020, to July 31, 2020, n = 188) and late surge (August 1, 2020, to January 31, 2021, n = 410), and then compared outcomes between both groups using descriptive statistics and logistic regression models. Results: Adverse outcomes were more frequent during the first surge, including diabetic ketoacidosis (32% vs 15%, P< .001), severe hypoglycemia (4% vs 1%, P= .04), and hospitalization (52% vs 22%, P< .001). Patients in the first surge were older (28 [SD,18.8] years vs 18.0 [SD, 11.1] years, P< .001), had higher median hemoglobin A1c levels (9.3 [interquartile range {IQR}, 4.0] vs 8.4 (IQR, 2.8), P< .001), and were more likely to use public insurance (107 [57%] vs 154 [38%], P< .001). The odds of hospitalization for adults in the first surge were 5 times higher compared to the late surge (odds ratio, 5.01;95% CI, 2.11-12.63). Conclusion: Patients with T1D who presented with COVID-19 during the first surge had a higher proportion of adverse outcomes than those who presented in a later surge.
ABSTRACT
Introduction: Health insurance coverage type differs significantly by socio-economic status and racial groups in the United States. There is limited data on the association between insurance and the risk of adverse outcomes for patients with pre-existing T1D and COVID19. Objectives: The aim of this study was to determine if publicly insured pediatric and adolescent patients with Type 1 Diabetes (T1D) were more likely to experience adverse outcomes compared to privately insured patients with acute COVID-19 infections. Methods: Data from 575 patients with previously established T1D aged <24 years with acute COVID-19 infections was analyzed from the T1DX-COVID-19 Surveillance Registry. Data for the registry was collected from 52 endocrinology clinics across the U.S, using an online survey tool. Each site completed the survey using electronic medical record (EMR) data between April 2020 and May 2021. Results: Privately insured patients were more likely to identify as Non-Hispanic White than publicly insured patients (63% vs 18%, p<0.001). T1D patients with COVID-19 that were on public insurance reported higher A1c (9.5% vs 7.9%, p<0.001), lower insulin pump use (29% vs 62%, p<0.001), as well as lower continuous glucose monitor (CGM) use (51% vs 77%, p<0.001) compared to privately insurance patients. Publicly insured patients with T1D and COVID-19 were three times more likely to be hospitalized than privately insured patients (Odds Ratio 3.4, 95% Confidence Interval: 2.1-5.4). Conclusions: Our data reveals a high rate of hospitalization and DKA among children and adolescents with T1D and COVID19 with public health insurance despite controlling for other potential confounders. This underscores that those on public health insurance are more vulnerable to adverse health outcomes during the COVID19 pandemic. (Table Presented).
ABSTRACT
Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic has had far-reaching consequences for individuals with type 1 diabetes (T1D) and has laid bare inequities in health care. Objectives: We sought to examine the United States (US) trends in diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) across the lifespan during the COVID-19 pandemic and factors associated with these trends, compared to DKA rates the year prior to the pandemic. Methods: The T1D Exchange Quality Improvement Collaborative (T1DX-QI) collected aggregate data on the incidence of DKA among children and adults with established and new-onset T1D from 7 large medical centers in the US (total T1D population >15,000). We compared DKA rates during COVID-19 Wave 1 (March-May 2020) and COVID-19 Wave 2 (August-October 2020) to the same periods in 2019. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize data. Chi-square tests were used to compare differences in patient characteristics. Results: DKA rates were higher in patients with established T1D during COVID-19 Wave 1 compared to the same period in 2019 (6.15% vs 4.71%, p=<0.001). DKA rates were also higher in patients with established T1D during COVID-19 Wave 2 compared to 2019 (5.55% vs 4.90%, p=0.02). There were no differences in rates of DKA by age or DKA severity. DKA rates were lower among individuals on insulin pumps during both COVID-19 waves compared to 2019 (Wave 1: 6.43% vs 10.25%, p=0.008;Wave 2: 8.14% vs 11.21%, p=0.03). Consistent with known T1D inequities, DKA rates were exacerbated for NH Black patients in 2020, with 18% of NH Blacks with T1D experiencing DKA compared to 6% of NH Whites. Conclusions: DKA rates rose among patients with T1D during US COVID-19 Waves 1 and 2, with the highest rates among NH Blacks. These findings highlight the urgent need for improved strategies to decrease the risk of DKA in individuals with T1D under pandemic conditions, especially among populations most affected by health inequities.