Chennai: Diabetes has slowly crept into many households in India and has notoriously earned the title of silent killer. The chronic lifestyle disorder is known to worsen the body’s ability to fight infections.
India is badly hit by the second wave of the contagious coronavirus, which is home to around 65 million people with diabetes who are at increased risk of becoming seriously ill or dying from Covid-19.
People with diabetes need to take precautions to avoid infection, as underlying diseases associated with diabetes can be additional risk factors and require special attention.
According to Dr. Geetha Lakshmi, Consultative Endocrinologist, Dr. Kamakshi Memorial Hospital, Chennai: “Elevated blood sugar levels do not make you more susceptible to coronavirus infection, but it does increase your risk of complications. People with diabetes have weak immune systems that are not very effective at fighting the virus. The coronavirus also causes cytokines (cytokine is a protein made by white blood cells in response to a stimulus) to be released into the blood, causing a cytokine storm, which is more common in people with diabetes. If released in excess, these cytokines can damage vital organs and lead to death. Therefore, people with diabetes need to keep their blood sugar levels under good control, even if they mostly stay at home during this pandemic.
She added, “Lockdown is a good time to start incorporating healthy habits into your daily life. People with diabetes need to check their blood sugar levels by checking them regularly at home with a blood glucose meter. “
