Covid triggering diabetes in recovering patients
Is Covid triggering diabetes in recovering patients? While doctors have been saying that diabetes complications including death among patients with Covid-19, they are now finding that an increasing number of patients discharged from Covid-19 wards have elevated levels of blood sugar: On most occasions, they may require medication with tablets or even insulin for at least a short period of time. Why diabetes? While research is under way on what triggers diabetes post recovery from the viral infection, senior diabetologist Dr R M Anjana from the Madras Diabetes Research Foundation points to three different reasons. It is possible that many of these patients had diabetes before they had Covid infection, but they weren't aware. To rule out this possibility, doctors ask for HbAlc (Hemoglobin A1C) test, besides checking sugar levels at random in patients admitted for Covid treatment. The HbAlc test gives the aver- age level of blood sugar over a period of three months. "If...