ABSTRACT
PURPOSE: In patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection, diabetes is associated with poor COVID-19 prognosis. However, case detection strategy is divergent and reported prevalence varies from 5 to 35%. We examined in how far the choice of screening tools impacts the detection rate of dysglycemia and in consequence the estimation of diagnosis-associated risk for moderate (mo) or severe (s) COVID-19. METHODS: Non-ICU in-patients with COVID-19 were screened systematically at admission for diabetes (D) and prediabetes (PreD) by HbA1c (A), random blood glucose (B) and known history (C) during 01/NOV/2020-08/MAR/2021. Dysglycemia rate and impact on COVID-19 outcome were analyzed in two screening strategies (ABC vs. BC). RESULTS: 578/601 (96.2%) of admitted patients were screened and analyzed. In ABC, prevalence of D and PreD was 38.2 and 37.5%, respectively. D was significantly associated with an increased risk for more severe COVID-19 (aOR(moCOVID-19): 2.27, 95%CI: 1.16-4.46 and aOR(sCOVID-19): 3.26, 95%CI:1.56-6.38). Patients with PreD also presented more often with more severe COVID-19 than those with normoglycemia (aOR(moCOVID-19): 1.76, 95%CI: 1.04-2.97 and aOR(sCOVID-19): 2.41, 95%CI: 1.37-4.23). Screening with BC only failed to identify 96% of PreD (206/217) and 26.2% of D diagnosis (58/221) and missed association of dysglycemia and COVID-19 severity. CONCLUSIONS: Pandemic conditions may hamper dysglycemia detection rate and in consequence the awareness of individual patient risk for COVID-19 severity. A systematic diabetes screening including HbA1c reduces underdiagnosis of previously unknown or new onset dysglycemia, enhances the quality of risk estimation and access of patients at risk to a diabetes-specific intervention.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic is affecting people's mental health worldwide. Patients with diabetes are at risk for a severe course of illness when infected with SARS-CoV-2. The present study aims to retrospectively examine mental health changes in patients with diabetes in Germany before and after the initial COVID-19 outbreak, and to furthermore explore potential predictors of such changes. METHODS: Over the course of eight weeks from April to June 2020, 253 individuals diagnosed with diabetes participated in an online cross-sectional study. Participants completed an anonymous survey including demographics, depression (PHQ-2) and generalized anxiety symptoms (GAD-2), distress (DT), and health status (EQ-5D-3L). In addition, all instruments used were modified to retrospectively ask participants to recall their mental health and health status before the outbreak had started. Additionally examined factors were COVID-19-related fear, trust in governmental actions to face the pandemic, and the subjective level of information about COVID-19. RESULTS: This study shows a significant increase in prevalence of depression symptoms, generalized anxiety symptoms and distress, as well as significantly decreased health statuses in diabetes patients after the initial COVID-19 outbreak. Increased depression symptoms, generalized anxiety symptoms and distress were predicted by COVID-19-related fear, whereas trust in governmental actions to face COVID-19 predicted higher depression symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: The results indicate a negative impact of the initial COVID-19 outbreak on mental health and health status in patients with diabetes. In order to improve the efficacy of psychological support strategies for diabetes patients during the pandemic, possible predictors of mental health impairment such as the aforementioned should be examined more thoroughly and addressed more openly.