Study: COVID-19 causes diabetes in some survivors
Along with other long-term health problems, a new study suggests that COVID-19 causes diabetes in some survivors of the virus.
CHICAGO – – A number of coronavirus survivors are diagnosed with diabetes.
A new study found that 39% of patients in the Department of Veterans Affairs had diabetes within six months of receiving the virus.
A similar study in England looked at 50,000 COVID-19 cases and found that people were 50% more likely to develop diabetes within six months of being discharged from hospital.
Researchers believe the virus somehow causes the disease.
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Another undesirable outcome of the pandemic is an increase in eating disorders.
A psychologist from Rush University Medical Center says eating disorders thrive on isolation, and the stress of the past year makes the disease worse.
Eating disorders on the rise amid a pandemic
Since the pandemic began, experts have said that eating disorders have increased due to isolation.
Dr. Mackenzie Kelly says that with so many people spending so much more time at home, many are unable to evade their dissatisfaction with the way they look.
Events and activities that would create a distraction are canceled, and this leaves many people alone with their thoughts.
Kelly says it’s important to remember that you don’t have to be incredibly thin to have an eating disorder.
“The minority of people with eating disorders are people who are visibly underweight. And in fact, eating disorders capture so much more than that,” Kelly said. “It could be things like skipping meals, trying to change the way you eat to lose weight in slightly more subtle ways, or people might say, ‘Well, I still eat, I do don’t starve ‘. But maybe you go for a long time without eating and find that your next meal is overeating or losing control of your food. “
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If you need help, reach out to a therapist who specializes in treating eating disorders.
If you are concerned about a friend or family member, Kelly recommends their wellbeing and encourages them to talk to someone instead of focusing specifically on their weight.
