MEMPHIS, Tenn. (WMC) - People with diabetes are being encouraged to be cautious during the coronavirus pandemic.
Methodist Diabetes Care and Education Specialist Nykkia Sellers said, "Since it is an underlying condition, and if your diabetes is poorly controlled, and you have heart disease, lung disease, obesity, advanced age - those things do put you at a higher risk of contracting COVID-19."
Sellers added that there have been instances where people did not know they were diabetic until they had the virus.
“I know of one person, in particular, that was diagnosed with COVID-19 and also was newly diagnosed with diabetes. I can’t necessarily say which one came first but that has happened here recently,” Sellers said.
It is why she is recommending that people who may have a history of diabetes in their family, are overweight or are experiencing symptoms of diabetes, like excessive thirst, unexplained weight loss, and extreme fatigue, should contact a medical professional to get screened.
Contracting COVID-19 while also being diabetic presents serious complications. “You may have an increased risk of respiratory failure. You may have an increased risk of kidney disease. There’s a seven-fold increase of mortality associated with persistent hyperglycaemia - which is elevated blood sugar or diabetes - with COVID-19,” Sellers explained.
Sellers said keeping a log of your weight and spending time exercising will help with managing diabetes at this time.
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