Metformin mitigates insulin signaling variations induced by COVID-19 vaccine boosters in type 2 diabetes (preprint)

Diabetes is associated with an increased risk of Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vulnerability and mortality. COVID-19 vaccines significantly reduce the risks of serious COVID-19 outcomes, but the impact of COVID-19 vaccines including their effectiveness and adverse effects in patients with diabetes are not well known yet. Here, we showed that 61.1% patients with type 2 diabetes, but not healthy controls, exhibited aggravated insulin resistance towards the booster shots of the COVID-19 vaccine. Furthermore, we showed that COVID-19 vaccination once a week also impaired insulin sensitivity in healthy mice after four weeks. We further showed that metformin, a common anti-diabetic medication, improved the impaired insulin signaling induced by COVID-19 vaccination in mice. This study suggests clinical implications for the close monitoring of glycemic control in diabetic patients after receiving COVID-19 vaccines and indicates the beneficial action of metformin in counteracting insulin signaling variations induced by COVID-19 vaccination in diabetic patients.

Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on outpatient appointments of rheumatic patients in a low- and medium-risk area of China (preprint)

Background We aimed to determine the impact of different strategies of outpatient appointments of rheumatic patients in a low- and medium-risk area of China against the COVID-19 pandemic.Methods Three hospitals in Shandong Province were investigated to compare the number of outpatient appointments of rheumatic patients before and after the COVID-19 pandemic.Results The number of outpatient appointments of rheumatic patients in 2020 decreased significantly under strict restrictive COVID-19 prevention measures compared to prior to the pandemic. The impact on Western medicine hospitals was greater than that on a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) hospital. After COVID-19, first-level public health emergency responses were degraded, and the number of outpatient appointments increased rapidly, exceeding the numbers in 2019 before the COVID-19 pandemic.Conclusion In the early stage of the pandemic, severe restrictive policies were effective measures in limiting the spread of COVID-19, but outpatient appointments in the three hospitals were significantly affected. The impacts on these three hospitals were different, with the designated Western medicine hospital for COVID-19 treatment suffering the greatest impact.